Galactic Life, and Reapers
by LegionN7
Summary: What if we actually lived in the Mass Effect Universe? How would our lives translate into this rich universe? This collaborative self-insert shows how, even coming from all walks of life, some things can bind anyone together. How will this sundry group of unlikely heroes cope? DISCLAIMER: Nonoriginal characters and locations not owned by any authors; all Bioware/EA. Starts pre-Me1.
1. David Goodman 1: Students and Teachers

**David Goodman 1: Students and Teachers**

**Written and submitted by Full-Paragon**

"All passengers for the 9:00 AM flight to the Citadel, please report to Gate A-32. Again, all passengers for the 9:00 AM flight to the Citadel, please report to Gate A-32."

For the last time, David Goodman checked his boarding pass. Gate A-32, 9:00 AM to the Citadel.

"Alright mom, dad, this is it." He reached out and hugged his parents one last time. He couldn't believe it. He was actually leaving Earth!

"You take care son," His mom whispered, her cheeks stained with tears, "We'll be praying for you."

His dad was doing his best to hold back his own tears. "Let me help you with the bags."

Normally David would have refused, but today he was willing to let his dad help him. After all, it was a long way to Earth from Thessia. He walked up to the ramp, took his bags and gave the pass to the flight attendant. With a final wave, he stepped onto the ramp and headed to the interstellar passenger vehicle.

"Welcome sir, which seat are you in?" The flight attendant asked when he entered the shuttle.

David gulped and tried not to flush. As a part of accepting the teaching job on Thessia, the government of Relldonna had paid for his transportation on an asari line of shuttles. This was his first time actually getting close to an alien, even if he had minored in xenostudies.

"Um, section 12, seat E." John stammered, trying to speak sari. Technically his translator could do it for me, but he wanted all the practice he could get.

"Right this way sir!"

As the first one to his row, David got first choice for stowing his carry on. He used his biotics to lift the bags and set them in the compartment. He wasn't a very strong biotic, but it had helped him get the job on Thessia. Most asari were biotics themselves, and having a non-biotic teach their children would be a little strange to them.

He was just about to sit down when a woman dragging a large carry on with several actual paper books under her arm approached. She was about 7cm shorter than David with curly red hair and several tattoos, the most noticeable one being a turquoise owl on her breasts.

"Is this section twelve?" She asked, glancing down at her own pass.

"Yup, need a hand with that ma'am?" David asked, smiling and pointing to her carry on.

"It's Lyla."The woman answered, holding out her bag.

"David," he replied with a smile, taking the bag and lifting it up with biotics. "Nice to meet you Lyla."

"Oh wow," Lyla gasped, "You've got biotics?"

"Yeah, that's not going to be a problem is it?"

"Oh no, wish I had biotics."

Lyla turned out to get to window seat next to David, and they sat down and chatted a bit about their lives after Earth. Lyla was a successful author, eager to get out from Earth and see a bit more of the galaxy. David was happy to share his own dream of being able to teach off world, and being one of the few "aliens" allowed to immigrate to Thessia.

"I am a bit jealous," Admitted Lyla, "But I'm not really that into asari. Turians now... Yummy!"

"Seriously?" David laughed, "they look like metal dinosaurs."

"But they're so tall! And I hear their very well equipped."

"Woah! TMI!"

It was a rather long trip to the Citadel, it took almost 10 hours just to get to exit the Earth's atmosphere and get to the Mass Relay. Civilian shuttles were not meant for speed, rather being cost effective and efficient. Military ships could do inner system runs in a tenth of the time it would take a civilian model.

To pass the time, David ended up buying a few of Lyla's books on his data slate. The first turned out to be a tawdry romance set in a prisoner of war camp during the first contact war which he skipped, but the next was an interesting tale set in ancient Earth during the days of the United States of America. David easily finished the book before they even got to the relay though, and ended up napping for a few hours.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the Sol Relay "Woah, there it is!" Lyla gasped, "Look at the size of that fucker!"

Peering out the window, David couldn't help but be impressed. Humanity had only discovered the Sol Relay a year before David was born, and in the twenty five years since its discovery a lot had changed. David's parents had grown up in a world where aliens were a myth at best, but by the time David was 8, the first Contact War had been fought and won and humanity had taken it's place on the galactic stage.

As a part of the first generation of humans born after the beginning of the age of interstellar travel, David had grown up hearing about how awesome aliens were. He was still pretty stoked to see an actual, live asari for the first time, and was ecstatic to be going to the Citadel, even for a few hours.

The next few hours were a series of boring jumps from one Relay to another. Even though the relay jumps were instantaneous, the shuttle still had to wait in the queue. Even with several vessels departing each second, with hundreds of ships that amounted to quite the wait.

Finally, they arrived at the Citadel. There was plenty of "ooos" and "aaahs" from the passengers, even the stewardess took time to peek out the windows at the Citadel.

"Makes the relays' look small." David commented to Lyla.

"No shit, I wonder how many people live there?"

"Thirteen point two million, according to the last census." David answered reflexively. When Lyla rolled her eyes, David smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Sorry, teacher instinct. Citadel studies are a part of every beings education."

"Right. I'll call you if I ever need to know random trivia." Lyla laughed.

Before long they were docked, and the weary travelers made their way onto the Citadel. They exchanged contact information and promised to keep up over the extranet, then parted ways. David had a few hours to kill, and shamelessly spent them gawking at aliens and going to all the tourist traps in the docking bay. He bought a "Keepers be Keepin'" T-Shirt from a vendor and a took some pictures to send to his family back on Earth.

When the time came to head back to the docking bay though, David got a little lost and had to ask for directions. Spying an engineer with a name tag that read "Andrew Bates."

"Excuse me sir, could you tell me where the Thessia Sky's dock is? I'm trying to get to the 15:35 flight to Thessia." David asked the engineer.

"The Thessia Sky dock, huh? Right on the top floor. Take the elevator over there if you want to get there in a jiffy." Andrew gruffly nodded towards a glass elevator just right behind them.

"Thanks!" David called, hurrying to the elevator. He was already on board when he realized the engineer had been the only human employee he had seen on the Citadel so far. He shrugged, after all, humanity was still taking it's baby steps out to the stars.

Once he was on the shuttle, David was practically vibrating with excitement. He had to show his passport and travel papers to the asari stewardess, and noticed that he was the only human on the shuttle. Thessia have very strict immigration laws; it was almost impossible for a non-asari that wasn't bonded to travel there.

"So, going home to see your mate?" A pretty young asari that sat next to him asked. At least, David thought she was young. She looked like a maiden, but he had to remember that she was probably over 100 years old.

"No actually, I got a job teaching at Matriarch Ilinaga Elementary in Relldona on the Ferrtold continent."

"Really?" The asari asked, giving David a look that made him feel like he was being appraised.

"Um, yes. David Goodman, by the way."

"Tella Ne'vass."

The eight hour flight to Thessia went by surprisingly quickly. Several asari gave David that some odd look Tella had when they found out David was single and moving to Thessia, and several of them asked odd questions such as, "Do you like children?" Obviously he did, David was a teacher. "What sort of home do you want?" A quiet one with a wife and kids someday. That one provoked an odd reaction. Tella and the other maidens sighed and lost interest in him for a while, but several asari who looked like matrons and even one that David thought was a matriarch suddenly became VERY interested in him. It was rather unnerving at first, but they were all so kind and helpful in regards to particularities of the sari language, what food was safe for a human, and tips on how to behave in social situations David found himself relaxing a bit.

He had always been a fan of the asari, at least since he had hit puberty, and had seen more than a little of the "Blue Porn" that had made it's way into human space. He had tried to kick the habit once he found out he would be teaching asari children, and had gotten rid of his data cache a month before he left Earth. Humans frowned on teachers with porn collections, and David had no reason to believe that asari felt any differently.

When David caught his first glimpse of Thessia after 6 hours, it took his breath away. It wasn't the deep blue of Earth, but a lighter, shimmering blue-green that made it look like a brilliant star.

"It's beautiful! So different from the vids!" David commented, a goofy grin on his face.

"Oh Goddess he is so precious!" He heard someone whisper, "He's not going to last long at all..."

He looked around to see if he could identify who had made the comment, frowning a bit as he did so. Not last long? Did they think he wasn't cut out to be a teacher? Kindergarteners could be rough sure, but he didn't think asari would be any harder to handle then his class back home on Earth had been.

Finally it was time to leave, and David skipped down the ramp, his bags floating behind him. Literally, he sometimes subconsciously activated his biotics, and his bags floated after him with a blue glow. At the end he saw several asari in formal robes holding up a sign that read, "David Goodman."

He hurried over had shook the waiting asari's hands. "Dr. Ulri'ah, Matriarch Benezia. It's an honor to finally meet you in person."

"It is our pleasure, Mr. Goodman." Benezia answered warmly, shaking his hand. "The board of Matriarch Ilinaga Elementary is excited to have a human on the staff. Why, I remember when my little Liara was in Mr. Thanapolis's class. He was a turian, but he got my Liara so excited about the protheans in his class she started digging all over the park for ruins!"

"I hope I can live up to the same standards, Matriarch. Hopefully I can get Liara just as pumped up about the protheans as her old teacher."

"That won't be possible I'm afraid." Dr. Ulri'ah, the principle of Ilinaga told him, "Dr. T'soni graduated last year, majored in Prothean Archaeology. Mr. Thanapolis passed away some 20 years ago now, Goddess rest his soul."

That was David's first bit of culture shock. In his head, he knew that asari were long lived, but to realize a woman who didn't look much beyond her 40's to him was over 800 years old, and that her daughter who was considered to be barely out of college and thus relatively David's age was almost 100 and a Doctor of Prothean Archaeology was hard for David to swallow. He knew his "kindergarteners" would be between the ages of 9-12, and be in his class for three whole years before they moved on. Developmentally, they would be at about the same level as a human 5-6 year old, but it was still a little crazy to David.

Benezia was actually leaving on a flight to the Citadel herself, she was a member of the Ilinaga board but also very influential in galactic politics, and David felt honored to meet her. Ulri'ah took David in an air car to Relldona herself. Thankfully, it was only a 90 minute ride and fairly close to the spaceport.

"Everyone is so excited to meet you! We try and keep a few aliens on staff at Ilinaga, it's good for everyone." Ulri'ah told him.

"I'm excited to meet my students, I know school doesn't start for another week, but I'm pumped myself."

"Oh, I'm sure they are very excited to meet you too." Ulri'ah said, waving that aside.

Her answered puzzled David, and for some reason his expression made Ulri'ah laughed. When he asked, she just winked at him. "Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough. You'll have your pick of the town, let me tell you."

"You mean I get to choose my students?" David asked, still utterly lost.

"Oh no, you get to choose your teacher." Ulri'ah cryptically answered, "But you can't choose me."

At that, David gave up and changed the topic to the curricula of Ilinaga and what sort of duties he could expect. It was something Ulri'ah and the board had already gone over him with, but the principle was happy enough to clarify a few things.

Finally, they got to Relldona. It was a fairly large city by asari standards, but they had never had the numbers that humans did due to their long lifespans and reproductive cycles. From what David remembered, it was home to about 4.3 million people, but it was small compared to the urban sprawl that was Greater Phoenix, home to over 28.4 million spread out over 38,000 kilometers. Relldona was spread out over proportionately a larger area, with a lot more parks and greenery then David's desert home. The edges were all smooth, graceful lines with tall spires and sweeping designs that were aesthetically pleasing, even to a human eye.

When they got to Ilinaga, David was impressed with the schools beauty as well. Far from the blocky constructions he was used to, it was built in the shape of a rounded dome with flying buttresses and elegant carvings of children at work and play. Out front was a large, hand painted sign that read "Welcome Mr. Goodman!" in English. Hundreds of little handprints decorated the sign, and by the way the letters were formed, David had to guess that his own class had been responsible for painting it.

He stepped out of the air car and hundreds of little asari voices screamed, "WELCOME MR. GOOFMAN."

He smiled, asari sometimes had trouble with the hard "D" sound, since their own language was mostly softer vowels and consonants. He was probably going to need to get used to being a "Goofman" for the rest of his life.

"Thank you! Hello Ilinaga Elementary!" He bellowed back, as loud as his impressive lungs would let him. He liked to brag that he could be louder than all the students in any of his classes combined, and there was some truth to the statement. His own clear baritone easily carried over the higher pitched asari, and several of the children giggled and covered their ears, not used to such a deep voice.

"Class 3, please line up to meet your teacher." Ulri'ah announced, using her omnitool to amplify her voice, "Parents and staff, I know you are all excited to meet our new teacher, but please wait until he has met his class. No exchanging phone numbers until AFTER the party, and no invitations home until it's time for visitations. That means you Belin!"

That got a laugh from the crowd, but David was too busy meeting his students to give Ulri'ah's words much thought.

"I'm Tess, and I'm 10 years old and I've never met a human and my mommy says you're a boy does that mean you have a stick in your pocket instead of a special place?"

"Do humans really have boys? Are you a boy? I think I'm a girl but mommy won't tell me and daddy died two years ago he was a salarian."

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"What's that stuff on your face and head? Where's your tentacles? Even Mr. Reldi has tentacles on his head but he calls them stalks."

"What's your name? I forgot. Mine's Polly."

"..."

Though he only have six students, David could already tell this was going to be an exciting year. Tess was already asking awkward questions he wasn't certain how to answer, Olpa was a member of a monogendered species that really wanted to be a girl, Kiha apparently needed lots of bathroom breaks, Mota was making comparisons between him and Mr. Reldi the teacher before him, Polly was going to need lots of help remembering her work, and Citti was hiding behind Polly and looking at him shyly. They were all very cute though, and David knelt down to introduce himself to each of them. The first five were very enthusiastic, but the most he got out of Citti before she ran to hide behind her mom was "Don't let them make fun of me."

"Oh don't mind Citti." Polly said dismissively, "she's just a pureblood."

"Polly!" Her mother gasped, blushing furiously.

Giving Polly his best Teacher Stare, David asked, "Polly, is that how we're supposed to use our words? What do you think you should say to Citti?" He wasn't quite sure what a pureblood was, but from the way Citti burst into tears and her mother glared at Polly's mother it couldn't be anything good.

Looking down and scuffing her feet, Polly furtively glanced over at Citti and mumbled, "Sorry Citti."

"I am so sorry Mr. Goodman, it won't happen again." Polly's mother promised, dragging her over to a tired looking batarian who nodded to David.

"Human. Don't mind my little girl. She's just got a lot of energy. And don't worry, I left the Hegemony for a reason. We won't have any trouble unless you start it."

To David's shock, the batarian was female according to his translator. He guessed it was just normal for asari, but to him dads should be, well, dads. A bit of his old fashioned upbringing he guessed.

"There won't be any trouble from me, Mrs?"

"Akkar." The batarian woman answered, nodding to David. "See you later."

After that, David walked over to Citti's mother. "Hi, I couldn't help but notice the way the other girls were treating Citti. Does she have a problem with bullying at school?"

The mother glared at him, "You heard what they said," She spat, "Just because my mate left me doesn't mean that Citti isn't just as good as the other girls, even if she is a pureblood."

"I'm sorry, I must have missed that in my xenostudies class, what's a pureblood? I take it that it's an offensive term."

The woman flushed and glanced down at her daughter who was clinging to her skirts. "Oh Goddess, I'm so sorry, I'm making a horrible impression. I'm Delana, Citti's mother. A pureblood is a child of two asari. Citti's dad was my mate from our time in the huntresses, but she couldn't handle the stigma of fathering a pureblood child and took off for the traverse with all our old gear when Citti was three. She doesn't even remember her father."

Something clicked, and David remembered that there was cultural stigma surrounding mating with another asari. "Don't worry Ms. Delana, I don't tolerate bullying in my classroom, from students or parents. I'll treat Citti just like she was the child of two humans. That's pretty normal where I come from, even if they do have two mommies."

"How do they have tw...?" Delana asked, the stopped and forced a smile onto her face. "Thank you, Mr. Goodman. Redli was a good teacher, but he was 37 and getting a bit old to effectively manage the girls."

"Call me David, Ms. Delana. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other." David said with a smile, walking off to talk to a few more parents.

As he left, he heard Citti say behind me, "I like him."

To his surprise, he heard Delana answer, "So do I."

A few weeks later, David was getting more and more of those appraising looks. It was starting to make him jumpy. The only asari that didn't make him feel like a piece of meat on the chopping block were students and Delana, who was quickly becoming his best friend. She wasn't the only parent in the class who was single, Belin, Tess's mom, was as well and was the worst of the bunch and made David feel slightly uncomfortable. Even though he didn't have kids of his own, David found himself hanging out with Delana and Citti after school more then once.

One day when Delana was showing him her and Citti's favorite restaurant, he had had several offers from teachers and parents to do the same, but he had turned them all down since they gave him those looks as well, he asked Delana about the strange looks.

"You mean you don't know? That's why they brought you here after all. We don't have any students with human fathers." Delana told him as they watched Citti play in the small playground.

The restaurant reminded David of McDonald's with it's colorful play area, though the food was much higher quality. Asari didn't seem to go in for "fast food." Probably because of their long lifespans.

"What does not having any half humans have to do with anything?" David asked. Technically the girls were all asari, but most of them referred to themselves as half whatevers, except for the handful of purebloods.

"Oh Goddess, you are precious!" Delana laughed, "I'm tempted to start giving you looks myself."

"Please don't, you're the only single asari I've met who doesn't and a few of the bonded ones do too, even the principle."

"You can say that, and you really don't know?"

"I really don't know. What, am I for sale or something?"

"Only if you want to be." Delana answered coyly, smirking at him, "Or are you into males?"

"Good God no!" David protested, "I'm not like that at all! I like girls! Well, and asari, but I've never really thought one would be interested in a human. To be honest, I sort of imagined you would all be like you and Citti, more interested in your own kind even after I read all the books and watched the vids."

"Did a few of those books and vids come from Fornax or Azure?" Delana teased.

In response, David flushed deep red.

"Oh you can't be serious!" Delana cackled, "That's why you don't get it! You really think we're all like the porn vids! Asari on asari is your favorite, am I right?"

"I'll have you know I haven't watched any in two months." David grumbled, peering into his drink. "I know that isn't something parents approve of their children's teachers watching."

"Humans maybe. For asari, as long as you don't try anything with our girls, we expect you to have certain appetites, shall we say. That's why everyone's looking at you."

"They think I'm a pedophile!" David nearly shouted, his face now flushing red, "Now see here, I think there's a special place in hell for those kind of people, and if ANYONE, anyone at all hurts MY girls I will personally gut the stupid, disgusting bastard! I will FLAY THEM WITH MY MIND!"

David realized he was shouting now, and sheepishly glanced around to see several asari, not a few of them parents at the school, looking at him.

"Er, or I'll report them to the proper authorities."

"HELL YES HUMAN! I'll hold them down while you do the flaying!" Mrs. Akkar shouted, pumping her fist. She was there with Polly, who was playing with Citti. "Grumbar'll help too, he's still got his old shotgun and krogan love that stuff!"

Grumbar nodded from his seat next to Akkar, keeping his eye on his own daughter who was only five, about two in human terms. "Yup. Flaying. Love it." The male krogan rumbled.

David sat back down, afraid to look at Delana. When he did, he saw she was actually give him THE LOOK now.

"Oh crap, now you think I'm one too." He groaned.

"No, now I think you might be bond mate material." Delana corrected.

For a moment, David's mind went totally and completely blank. Then the coin dropped.

"Wait, everyone's looking at me like that because they want to get into my PANTS?!"

"Lots of asari find humans attractive. I thought I preferred the females myself, but I'm starting to see the... Benefits... to the males. You're so passionate, and I've seen how strong you are. Your muscles anyway, I wouldn't scream about your biotics."

"You can't be serious." David groaned, "Are all asari this horny?"

Delana put her hand suggestively on David's leg. "Well, it looks to me like you are."

Feeling the surge in his loins, David shrugged. "Guess I am."

"Goddess take it," an asari behind David muttered, "My money was on Belin"

And that was when Delana had to explain to David about the pool the school had quietly had running on him. Apparently, it was something of a tradition to see how long it took the alien teachers to find an asari mate, and who it would be.

"I can't believe everyone was betting on my love life!" David seethed as he and Delana sat down on her porch. They had taken Citti home, and she was quietly playing in her room.

"Oh, it's all in good fun. Everyone knew you liked asari, why, the principle even had a hacker check your personal computer to make sure you were into asari."

"What?!" David spluttered, coughing and spraying Delana with the asari wine he had been drinking. "Sorry about that, but do you seriously mean that the principle checked my porn stash?"

Laughing, Delana wiped herself down with a napkin. "Of course. There are not many non-asari on Thessia, and the principle wanted to make sure she had a good match. Humans are just popular right now because your species is so new, and because you look so much like us, even more than the turians or salarians. Maybe that's why I don't mind being attracted to you so much."

"Right, because you prefer other asari. I understand there's a cultural stigma attached to it, but why?"

"It is generally believed that we grow and advance as a species by mating with other species and broadening the gene pool. And there are... Other problems. There is a possibility for a recessive genetic trait to pop up with pureblooded asari. I pray to the Goddess everyday that Citti is not affected."

"Wow. And here, I thought I knew about asari culture." David remarked, "Guess I have a lot to learn. Like what, for example, a man would have to do to get an asari to go on a date with him."

Delana smiled. "Well, the asari might ask that man to go to services this Athamday with her and her daughter."

"Well, that sounds pretty good." David agreed, "But I'll want to take things slow like. Hell, I'm still a virgin."

"Really?" Delana asked, burying her face in her glass."That sounds... Fascinating."

**One Year Later**

"Earth smells funny." Citti pouted, still worn out from the hours long flight from Thessia. They had had a short layover on the Citadel where Citti had napped, but like all small children travelling was difficult.

"That's not a very nice thing to say about your future daddy's planet." Delana evenly replied, holding the child in her arms.

David had paid for the trip to Disneyworld in Florida with the money he had gotten out of the betting pool. His two new best friends Akkar and Grumbar had miraculously guessed the perfect time and person that David would begin dating and given David a rather large cut of the profits. It was a bit strange for the earthling to say his two best friends were a krogan and batarian, two species humanity most decidedly did not get along with, and that he was dating an asari. He hadn't proposed to Delana yet, but he was going to be getting a ring here on Earth. They were meeting his parents at the hotel, and he wanted the perfect moment.

As they were exiting the spaceport, David spied an advert for "Gaither Blade and Bling" with a picture of the absolutely perfect ring for Delana. It had a spiral of sapphires surrounding a large diamond, and best of all it was within David's budget.

"Hey Del, why don't you take Citti over to the Spacies and let her rest while you get something to eat. I'll check on the rental car."

Once he was sure Del wasn't looking anymore, David hurried over to the small shop. Inside was quite the impressive array of swords, axes, knives and other weaponry, but David ignored it and made a beeline for the counter.

"Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can I cut ya?" The large hairy man behind the counter drawled.

"I want that one." David stated, pointing to the ring from the sign and slapping down his credit chit. "That's the ring I'm going to use to propose.

"Oh really? Asari really dig that style." grabbing a new issue of Blue Rose by Fornax, the man said, "need any inspiration or study for your soon-to-be bondmate?"

"No. Er, wait, yes. But only if it comes free with the ring."

Smiling like a sated lion, the man answered, "It's already included. Need a bag or a love box?"

"Love box for the ring, bag for the magazine." Taking the box, David opened it and stared at the ring. "Are you sure asari like it?"

"Well, the style originated on Armali, its been the "in" for the last 350 years. The cluster here symbolizes the Embrace around the superior diamond, the center of your life. Its also a common elcor gift, but since you didnt go too red when I asked about Blue Rose or ask for GenitElcor, figured it was an asari."

"I'll take that as a yes." David said, there really was a lot his xenostudies class hadn't covered, and swiped his credit chit. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do with the magazine, but Delana had hinted that she now possessed a few human and asari pornos. "Thanks, I hope she loves this!"

"Are you kidding? THE Blue Rose is in that one, as is Brio K'Gol. There's also an article on how to introduce a hanar third party. Thank you for supporting small business, and good luck in your marriage or bonding!"

To David's great embarrassment, he knew exactly who the shop owner was talking about, and his pulse quickened slightly. He forced it down though, and went over to the Spacies to get Del and Citti.

A few hours later, David sat with his dad in the ground car they were taking to the hotel. His mom, Delana and Citti were all in the other car to get a chance to chat.

"So, an asari huh? Guess I never really figured on that one." His dad mused.

David shrugged. "She's really special to me. She was the first person on Thessia to really make me feel comfortable, and she's well..."

"Smokin' hot?" His dad teased.

"Yeah, pretty much. Citti's sweet too, and I always wanted kids. Delana said she would love to have another girl, though it takes longer for asari."

"I trust you son, you've always had a good head on your shoulders. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, tomorrow I'm taking her to dinner at the Coral Reef Restaurant in EPCOT. I'm going to give her this." David took at the ring and his dad glanced over at it.

"Damn, how did you afford that on a teachers pay?"

"Asari pay their teachers a whole lot better than humans do. And I sort of won a betting pool at work."

"What kind? They play sports on Thessia?"

"Er, yes, but was actually in regards to who I would start dating. I cheated."

"Now that is some good thinkin'."

The next evening, David's parents took Citti back to the hotel after a long day in the park, and David did his best to keep from brimming over with excitement. He was pretty sure Delana had figured out what he was up to, she was a bit faster on the uptake then David when it came to behavior, and she was dressed in a stunning red gown with sparkling ruby earrings.

"Damn, do I really think she would ever want me?" David asked himself, but then he remembered the times Delana had called to hang out, or the fact that she had been the one to ask David out on the first date (and the second). "I've got to do this. I can't let her get away!"

He had planned things out beforehand, calling the restaurant to let them know he was proposing (He had gotten the idea because the Coral Reef Restaurant was number 4 on the list of places to propose in Disney World) and a special carriage would take them off to the hotel afterwards. Provided Del said yes, of course.

By the end of the meal, David was sweating and red, the ring in his jacket pocket feeling like it weighed a thousand tons and the room seeming to bend around the image of the angel before him.

"David, are you alright?" Delana asked, "You look like you're getting sick."

"I am sick." David said before he could think, "And there's only one thing that could make me better."

Oh Christ, he thought to himself, I've got to be the sappiest guy ever.

"Delana Pi'ror, will you marry me?" David asked, going to one knee and proffering the ring.

Time seemed to stop, and David felt like he could sense every single thing going on in the restaurant. The chime of glasses of champagne, the whisper of voices, the eyes of everyone in the entire building as they focus in on the man who was either about to be the happiest in the entire building or the biggest fool in the world.

Suddenly, the ring glowed a soft blue and floated out of the box. David's mouth went totally dry, and he felt like he was going to die. But Delana held out her finger and the ring slipped on as if made for it.

"I believe the culturally appropriate thing to say, would be yes." Delana whispered, tears of joy running down her face.

Springing to his feet, David swept Delana off hers as he glowed with more biotic force than he ever had in his entire life, lifting his newly engaged sweetheart and the entire table off the ground.

Four months later, Delana Pi'ror became Delana Pi'Goodman, and David legally adopted Citti. He gave up his Alliance citizenship and took up the Thessian citizenship that came with becoming a legally recognized asari bondmate. He had a krogan as his best man, and a batarian was among Delana's bridesmaids. People commented that the ceremony, which took place on the Citadel, was one of the most beautiful, if eclectic they had ever attended. It wasn't everyday that a marriage Ceremony was performed both by a priestess of the Goddess Athame and by a Protestant Minister.

When they arrived back on Thessia, David continued to teach while Delana prepared herself and conceived a child. Twenty eight sol months later, Dora Pi'Goodman was born. David thought the good times would last forever.

He was wrong.

_Authors Note: _

_I'm Full-Paragon, and this is my favorite colab on the Citadel._


	2. Maike Ariasu 1: Jenkins, Me, and Vega

**Hey guys this is Hunter giving his chapter to this Collab story between Aria's afterlife's authors, I hope you like it, took me a while and it came out longer than I expected it to be.**

**2175 CSUMB Non-human studies classroom, Lecture about turian history**

Maike was sitting in his classroom listening to a lecture about Turian history from his teacher who ironically was a human, and an old one at that so he knew that there would be a bad spin put on every single little detail, that's what people do when they grew up during the first contact war, "Mr. Ariasu are you listening to me?" Professor Hawkings asks.

"Yes sir, perfectly," Maike says as he switches his holographic display to show notes that he had taken from the book at the beginning of the semester.

"Good then I hope you don't mind repeating what I said," he glares at Maike, mostly because he was the youngest student in the classroom, and not by a few years either, the next youngest was a full decade older than him.

"No problem," Maike says as he gives a brief summary of the lecture, without the bad spin on events.

"Thank you Mr. Ariasu," he says as he continues the lecture.

Maike returns his holographic display to a book he was writing about a turian renegade, who saw the comic book vigilantes and was inspired by one in particular, the Batman, of course he called himself the Birdman.

At the end of the class Maike walks out of the classroom only to be approached by two men in alliance uniform, "Maike Ariasu?" a man asks with a gruff Russian accent.

"That's me," Maike says, "What do you need?"

"We are here to inform you that your application to the alliance academy on Arcturus has been accepted," the other man says with a distinctly southern accent says.

"You couldn't do that through the mail?" Maike asks confounded by the fact that they were telling him in person unless… "I'm being taken right now aren't I?"

"We already informed your family and gathered your things," the Russian says.

Not even a good bye? Maike asks himself as he follows the two men to a sky car.

As soon as they reach the spaceport Maike immediately sees the other accepted students waiting to board their shuttle.

"You're in the third line," the alliance member says as he gives Maike a single luggage bag.

Maike walks up to the third line and is greeted by a brown haired guy with a cheery attitude, "I can't wait to get to the alliance!" he all but shouts, "I'll get to see some action, fight a war and be a hero," he says as Maike looks at him like he's an idiot.

"Why are you so cheery?" Maike asks the dreamer.

"Because we have a chance to do so much," he says as he turns around, "I mean, like there are so many possibilities."

"You'll get yourself killed," Maike says, "be a realist, we are joining the military so start acting like it."

"He's right," says a kid from another line, "if we all die because we had our heads in the clouds who would be left to defend our families?"

"I won't die," he says.

"What's your name?" Maike asks the dreamer.

"Richard Jenkins," he says as he stands proud.

"You sound more like a dreamer to me," a muscular Hispanic man joins in as he turns, "so that's what I'll call you, Dreamer."

"Dreamer?" Jenkins asks as he looks at the man, "I like the sound of that."

"Jenkins you won't last," Maike says, as he face-palms, "my name is Maike Ariasu,"

"James Vega," the Hispanic man says, "What are your focuses?"

"I'm going to be a tactical advisor," Maike responds keeping his tone neutral

"Weapons specialist," Jenkins says, "You Vega?"

"Marine," James says, "seems like we are all going into different fields."

"Looks like it," Maike says with a sigh of relief as his line starts moving, "wish you luck," he says as he and Jenkins get into the shuttle.

"So why did you join the Alliance?" Jenkins asks.

Maike groans as he realizes it will be a long shuttle ride to the academy, "By the Eternal Dragon," he mutters to himself as Jenkins starts rambling on about his life.

When Maike's shuttle finally reaches Arcturus he practically jumps out of his seat to get away from Jenkins who only stopped talking for a few minutes because he had to go to the bathroom, "Thank the Eternal Dragon!" he yells out.

"You said that a lot on the shuttle ride," Jenkins says as he stretches his limbs, "any reason?"

Maike got into line and tried to ignore Jenkins as he is followed.

"Hey I'm talking to you," Jenkins says.

"Please stop," Maike says as he looks for his dorm room and sees that he shares it with someone, "Wonder who it is?" he asks.

"Hey that's my room too," Jenkins says, and Maike groans, "Looks like we are roommates."

"Can't catch a break can I?" Maike asks himself as he enters the room and chooses the bed on the left, "Stay on your side and I won't have to kill you," he says with a serious face as he lays down on the bed after throwing his duffle bag on the floor.

Jenkins looks at Maike, "You don't like people very much do you?" He asks although it sounded more like a statement.

"No," Maike says as he looks at Jenkins, "I tend not to," he says flatly.

Jenkins smiles as he sits down at the desk in the room, "What you need is a friend," he says grinning like an idiot.

Maike's eyes widened at his words, Son of a Eternal Dragon forsaken bitch, he yells in his mind.

**2 years after entrance to the academy, Navy dorms,**

"Jenkins I don't want you throwing me a birthday party," Maike says as they walk to their dorm-room.

"Why not it will be fun," Jenkins wines, "remember mine?" he asks and immediately Maike groans.

**Three months ago. **

Maike had just gotten back from his class when he heard music coming from the common room, "Another party?" he asks, "they just had one last week," he goes out of his room and walks into the common room to see that there was happy birth-day signs everywhere, and they were all addressed to Jenkins, and as soon as he got in he got pushed from the doorway and into the crowd.

"Demente you made it!" Vega shouts with the obvious smell of beer on his breath, "join the party!"

Maike tried to get away from the hulk of a man, but was powerless to resist as Vega grabbed a can of beer and dumped the contents down Maike's throat, "Damn it that's disgusting!" Maike shouts as he is let go, slightly dizzy.

"You'll get used to it Demente!" Vega says as he takes his shirt off and starts dancing.

"I did not need to see that," Maike says as he looks away from the drunk idiot.

Jenkins sees his roommate and goes over to him, "Maike good to see you made it," he says as he trips and falls.

"I wasn't planning on coming," Maike responds as he feels the effects of the beer slipping in.

"Vega gave you some of the good stuff did he?" Jenkins asks as he gets up.

"I'm going to bed," Maike says as he walks back towards the door but bumps into a girl on the way spilling her drink all over her, "I am so sorry," he says as he grabs a napkin and starts wiping off some of the drink.

"Getting a little touchy there aren't we?" she asks as he realizes where he was wiping and immediately turns red, and takes his hand away, "Don't worry," she says, "names Saria," she says.

"Maike," he says, "it was...umm, nice to meet you," he says as he tries to walk away, but Saria grabs him.

"Don't think you can get away with that," she tells him, and he can see that she is drunk.

"Sorry, but I need to study," he says as he pulls his arm away and goes towards the door again but it becomes blurry, "Damn it Vega!" he shouts, "what the hell was in that stuff?" he asks as he barely manages to open the door,

Saria followed Maike to his room, and when he enters she is right behind him, "So this is your room?" she asks as Maike jumps, and turns around, "Hey handsome."

"Why are you here?" Maike asks her, as his blurry vision becomes increasingly blurry.

"I saw something I wanted," Saria says as she pushes Maike down to the bed.

"Umm..." Maike says but the damned Alchohol makes him think this is okay, and he can't think of anything to say.

Saria pulls her shirt off and throws off her bra, Maike could feel himself get turned on, and so could she apperantly, "Already?" She asks as she straddles Maike, "I was hoping that you could hold out a little longer," she comments.

Maike was too drunk to do anything but go with it, "Really?" He asks her as he turns her over and is on top now, "with how you were acting I'm surprised you didn't take my pants off."

Saria smiles as she unbuttons her pants, "Good you are getting it now." she tells him.

Maike leaned down and kisses Saria on the neck, and gradually makes his way down her body, and takes her pants off when he gets to her stomach, and her panties as well, revealing a hairless pussy, "Naturally hairless?" He asks as he kisses it.

Saria moans a little, "Yes," she says as she feels Maike start licking her pussy lightly, and can barely suppress a moan.

Maike took his clothes off not long after that, and then fingered Saria's pussy, "Does it feel good?" Maike asks her as she moans louder, but the music outside meant that no one would hear them.

"Stop teasing," she says as she pulls him closer to her, "if you're going to do it, then do it."

"All right," Maike says as he enters her, everything after that was a blur.

**The next morning.**

Maike woke up with a massive headache and no clothes on, "When did I start sleeping naked?" he asks as he sees Saria next to him, "Oh, that's when," he says.

Saria wakes up when Maike moves and looks at him, "Hey handsome," she says as she kisses him, "how did you sleep?"

Maike considered telling her that he didn't remember much of the night before, only the major details, her name, what they did, and the fact that they were still in his room, "Pretty good," he tells her.

"Good," she says, "wouldn't want to think that I'm not good enough for you," she tells him as she gets up and puts her clothes on.

Maike stays in his bed and watches her, _What the hell was I doing last night? _he asks himself, _oh that's right, Vega's damned drink, I'll get him back for that, _he watches Saria put something into his data-pad, "What's that?" he asks her.

"My contact info," she says, "call me," she then walks out of the room, leaving Maike with a headache.

After she leaves Maike gets his clothes on, "I am never going to another party again," he says to himself when he finishes putting his clothes on, then opens the door to see Jenkins standing in the hallway, "what do you want?"

"So," he says with a smirk, "how'd you sleep?"

Maike face-palms, "I'm never telling you," he says,

**Present day.**

"So how are thing between you and Saria?" Jenkins asks.

"Pretty good," Maike answers, "still not telling,"

"Come on!" Jenkins whines, "it's been three months."

Maike smiles, the only reason he didn't tell Jenkins was because he couldn't remember that first night, although he was pretty sure the nights after might have been a replay, "You'll never know," he says.

**4 year after entrance to the academy, Alliance academy football superbowl.**

It was the last play of the game, the Navy were down by 5 and were on the 50 yard line,

"Maike I think we need a hail mary," Vega says in his usual tone, "we don't have any other options," Maike considered his words, they had five seconds left and a hail mary would be expected, but Maike wasn't one to do what was expected, and James knew that, "What are you planning Demente?" he asks.

"He always has a plan," Jenkins says as he smiles.

Maike had finished planning, "alright here is the plan..." he tells them something that would make a Krogan look sane.

"Are you sure Dreamer is up for it?" Vega asks and all the men look around

"Hell yeah," Jenkins says, "this is my shot at glory," everyone looks at Maike worried.

"He can do it," Maike says as he breaks the huddle.

Everyone gets into their positions Vega at TE, and Jenkins at RB, "Set Set, Hike!" Maike says as the ball is hiked and he drops back to pass and as he suspected all the DBs had dropped back into the red zone, and Maike used a lateral to get the ball to Jenkins.

Jenkins caught the ball and started to run with Maike right behind him and Vega in front, Vega was able to hold off two of the defenders that were on him but couldn't stop the third one, and right before he had hit Jenkins, he had thrown a lateral to Maike making sure that the defender would be out of play.

Maike caught the lateral and jumped over Jenkins and the guy he had taken out of play and past Vega and his two who were now on the floor. "The 25," Maike says as he sees an almost open field.

The announcers start going crazy, if Maike gets past this last defender then it would be the first time the Navy team has won since Anderson.

Jenkins gets back up and starts running towards the goal line as fast as he can, "Maike don't screw up," he says as he is about 10 yards behind him.

Maike knows he can't change his direction so he runs at full speed at the final defender who is also running at him, the difference being the guy was built like Vega, Maike was fit, but he had nothing on Vega, or this guy.

Jenkins was still behind Maike when he saw him get hit.

Maike saw the hit coming and threw the ball back and up into the air, knowing it would land right when Jenkins got under it, as long as his calculations were correct.

Jenkins yells, "Hell Yes!" as he catches the ball at the ten yard line, and past Maike and the final defender, and into the touchdown. All of the crowd that was cheering for the Navy roared as Jenkins got the winning touchdown.

Maike laid on the ground as he heard the crowd roaring, and chanting, "Navy," until Jenkins and Vega went over to him and picked him up.

"Good job Demente," Vega says with a pat on the back then looked at Jenkins, "you too Dreamer."

"Thanks Vega," Jenkins says as he looks at Maike, "You too, couldn't have done it without either of you two."

Maike smiles for the first time since entering the academy, "It's good to know I have someone behind me all the way," he says.

"Look at that, Demente smiled," Vega says with a chuckle, "come on let's go get cleaned up, we have one hell of an after-party."

**Three hours later, Navy dorms **

Maike had just turned 21 a few weeks ago and was enjoying the after-party, quite well, of course he did have at least 5 cans of beer, "Whoo hoo," he shouts, "To my good friends, Jenkins, and Vega," he raises his can, "two of the best damned people I know!" most people were surprised that Maike had even shown up, mostly because he was in his room studying, but now he is letting loose and having fun.

Jenkins and Vega laughed as they were drunk off their asses as well and shouted in unison, "Here, here," and downed their next can of beer with Maike.

Much after that last can of beer was a blur.

**5 years after entrance to the academy, Arcturus station, Alliance academy graduation**.

"And with that I give you the 2180," The Alliance Admiral, who was headmaster of this school says as all the students stand up at military attention and give a salute to the admiral, then pull a right face and walk off in perfect unison towards their families.

Maike was the only one who stood at the edge of the audience area, after all his family couldn't care less about him, he remembered the letter he had gotten a few weeks after he had arrived, "They don't care," he says as Jenkins walks up to him, "Need anything?" he asks.

"Have you got your assignment yet?" Jenkins asks as Maike turns to him, "I got mine, but it says that it's classified," he frowns.

"Yeah got mine with the diploma," Maike says, "I'm going to be stationed in the fifth fleet," he says as he holds out his hand, "It was good knowing you," he says.

Jenkins takes Maike's hand, "You as well," then gives a wave and leaves.

Maike waves back, "See you next leave got it?" he calls after him.

"Sure thing," Jenkins says, "don't forget to invite Saria," he says.

"You got it," Maike says, even though Saria and Maike were dating for the past three years, they were still going strong.

Saria came up behind Maike and hugged him, "Hey handsome," she says.

"What's up beautiful?" Maike asks smiling.

Saria was glad that she had found Maike, and dragged him over to meet her parents, "Oh, nothing," she says as she smiles, "just thought you should meet the folks," Saria tells him.

"Really?" Maike asks nervously, _Give me the chance to win the superbowl for the Navy, no problem, make Jenkins my roommate, sure thing, meeting my girlfriends parents, where's the nearest rock? _Maike thinks as she stops in front of an elderly man and woman.

"Mom, Dad," she says, "This is Maike," she tells them as she pushes me in front of her.

"We've heard so much about you Maike," Saria's mom says.

"Thank you," Maike responds as he holds out his hand, "Maike Ariasu," he tells them, "a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Naren," came the gruff voice of her father as he takes Maike's hand, Maike giving a firm grip, "a strong grip there son," he comments with a small smile.

"Always been told the grip tells a lot about a man," Maike responds.

"I believe that isn't taken as seriously as it should anymore," Naren responds as he releases the grip.

Maike puts his hand behind his back, and stands in parade rest, "No, it's not," he agrees.

"Why don't you join us for dinner?" her mother asks.

"I don't see why not," Maike says

Saria wraps her arm around Maike's and smiles, "That would be awesome," she says.

They all walk towards Naren's skycar, to go to one of the more classy restaurants in Arcturus.


	3. Russell Tripp 1: Welcome to the Fleet

** Russel Tripp 1: Welcome to the Fleet**

** Written and submitted by thebluninja**

Russell stood and checked over his uniform in the mirror one last time. His dress uniform looked pitifully bare with only a single ribbon on his chest – just one more thing to make him stand out as the FNG. He fiddled with his omni-tool for a moment, making sure that his order file was ready to go, then picked up his seabag (though why it was called that for a space-faring military force, he still found epically stupid) and checked out of the temporary barracks.  
His ship had docked three hours ago, but he'd listened to the chief on duty and not been there the instant it docked. Four months of patrolling human colonies in the Verge meant that everyone on board was eager to flee the ship for the temporary comfort of two weeks on Arcturus Station. By this point, the docking bay was close to deserted, all the sailors on liberty and the civilians on the dock moving around pallets of new supplies. He could see mechs outside, using tiny thrusters to detach a scorched section of ablative armor.  
The gangplank to the main airlock was wide enough to fit four people side by side, and he walked up it gravely, shifting the bag on his shoulders uneasily. The SSV Hawking was the newest carrier in the fleet, and while he'd been hoping for a planetside station like Elysium or Shanxi, he wasn't unhappy with his orders.  
He stepped through the opened airlock onto the quarterdeck, saluted the Alliance flag, then the chief on duty. "Airman Tripp reporting for duty!" She returned his salute gravely, or boredly, he couldn't tell, and motioned for him to get on with it. Pulling up his omni-tool, he forwarded his orders to the podium data terminal, and she skimmed it, marking the official time of his arrival.  
"Alright, kid. Do you know your way around a ship?" He hesitated, then waved one hand in a so-so motion. "Figures. Here's a map. Obviously, you're in FIMD, so I marked their division office and your berthing. Get a bunk, report to your division, find out your work schedule. You boys are going to be awfully busy these next two weeks." She waved him off before he could salute again, and he stepped out the door into the hangar bay of the ship.  
The scale of it wasn't enough to awe him – not like walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, or hiking the Grand Canyon – but it was still pretty darn impressive. The bay spanned at least a football field, stretching three stories up. Three dozen, maybe four dozen, fighters sat resting in the bay, almost all of them showing signs of battle damage. One in particular, the cockpit showing matching puncture marks to both port and starboard sides, had him goggling, wondering if the pilot survived.  
He found a bunk fairly easily, taking a top one that his 6'2" frame could reach easily, and reporting to a petty officer browsing the extranet in the division office. "So, you're the new guy," he said. "Electrician?"  
"Yes, petty officer."  
"Oh cripes, I forgot how gung ho all you new kids are," he growled. "Look, this is the fleet. We don't go around saluting every day and constantly saying 'Yes petty officer, no petty officer.' We get the work done and enjoy the time off shift. Got it?"  
Russell took a moment to swallow nervously. On board half an hour and already setting a poor impression, he thought morosely. "Um, yeah."  
"That's more like it." He grinned. "If you need me for something, just call me Lap. Easier than mangling my name a dozen times until you get it right like everyone else does. You'll be on duty tomorrow. Curfew is midnight for you airmen, so make sure you get whatever essentials you need today. Next two weeks we're all working twelve-hour days to get the birds fixed up before we pull out for the second act of Batarian Scumbags 'R' Us. Be in the shop by 0700. You know where that is?"  
"Um, down two decks and around a corner." At least, he hoped that was it, the map wasn't interactive.  
"Good. Swing by before you take off, get a look around." Lap leaned back in the chair, obviously returning to his extranet viewing, and after a moment's hesitation, Russell stepped out of the office and down the stairs.  
Three months later The ship shuddered, and Russell pulled his hand backwards just long enough for the shaking to subside, then finished patching the wire. "Conduit repaired!" he shouted into his omni-tool. "Permission to opcheck!"  
There was a burst of static before the replay came back. "Permission granted." He gave a thumbs-up to Lap, crouched several feet away near a breaker box, and he threw a switch, a slight humming sound barely audible from the conduit. "Opcheck good! Returning to locker!"  
As he moved to gather his tools and close the damage control bag, he heard the ship's VI come on again. "Repair locker One-Fox, prepare to repel boarders at Starboard Cargo doors." It repeated, driving home a second time the fact that he was literally just inside the Starboard Cargo doors. He had a bare moment to think, oh crap, and tighten his hand on the handle of the soldering tool, when the door was forced open.  
Before he could stop to think about anything else, he stabbed forward with the soldering tool, triggering it up to maximum. The batarian slaver's shields flared for half a second, and as he tried to pull the assault rifle around for a shot, the shields failed. Russell's hand shot forward, the soldering tool shattering several pointed teeth and lodging itself somewhere in the base of the batarian's skull. The pirate dropped to the ground, and he made a valiant effort to grab for the weapon, only to send it skittering across the deck towards Lap.  
Another batarian appeared in the doorway, and Russell threw himself down behind a power transformer. His combat uniform had shields, but they were tuned to repel heat more than bullets. He heard Lap and the pirate exchanging fire, keeping the intruder pinned in the doorway. "Fuck!" Lap shouted. "Tripp, tell me the fucking Marines are on the way down!" He scrabbled at his omni-tool, only to find it jammed.  
In a panic, he fumbled with the bag of damage control equipment, scattering banding straps, electrical tape, and packets of specialized omni-gel before his hand stilled on one of them. Grinning like a maniac, he unrolled a length of welding cord, shoving one end into the packet and using a spark from his omni-tool to light the other end. "Lap, duck!" he shouted, and winged it sideways. The cord whipped around as the packet bounced off the floor, between the legs of a surprised batarian, and into the cargo airlock.  
Half a second later, the burning welding cord reached the highly flammable omni-flux, and it exploded. The pirate in the doorway was blown to the side, and Lap aimed just long enough to double-tap him in the head. A moment later, four Marines came thundering up the corridor, storming into the airlock and taking out the rest of the flash-blinded pirates. Russell felt tingly all over, his head whirling with adrenaline. "Locker leader, boarders repelled from Starboard Cargo airlock. Four Marines have arrived to secure the scene. Electricians are in need of new conduit soldering tool."  
He heard the reply back through a haze, as he and Lap dumped the batarian assault rifle and stumbled back down the corridor. "Dude," the petty officer said, clapping him on a shoulder hard enough he almost dropped the bag of tools, "that was awesome."  
"You owe me a round of drinks," Russell replied, as they reached the locker and sagged onto the floor.  
"I thought you didn't drink?"  
"I changed my mind. I'm giving up sobriety for Lent."  
A month later, back on Arcturus Station, he stood in ranks with two dozen other sailors, listening to the CMC read off their awards. For valiant service and extreme initiative in going temporarily insane and killing a batarian with an electrical tool, you get some chest candy. Go team Alliance! His thoughts were a mixture of grim and sarcastic. The counselor told him he was doing exceptionally well at coping with the battle shock, and unlike Lap, he hadn't woken up screaming.  
When the awards were done, Vice Admiral Singh stepped up to the podium. "Sailors and Marines, at ease. You've all done exceptional jobs out there, patrolling and keeping our colonies safe. In recognition of this, and with the SSV Einstein out of drydock, Admiral Hackett and I have agreed on your next mission." He glanced around at the crowd, though Russell's view from the stage encompassed pretty much just the back of his head. "After the rest of your one month refit period is over, you'll be embarking on a goodwill tour of Citadel space. Your efforts against the pirates and slavers of the Skyllian Verge have been noted and praised by all the Council races, and so you'll be among the first Alliance warships to visit Palaven, Thessia, and three other major planets."  
This brought cheering and applause from everyone, Russell included. Visit the asari homeworld? Oh Hell yes! Thoughts of lithe, blue-skinned strippers drowned out the rest of Admiral Singh's speech.  
The next day, Chief Hallert stopped him in the hallway. "Tripp, good job. And speaking of good jobs, here's one for you." His omni-tool beeped, and he pulled up a massive list of supplies. "You get to restock the damage control locker. You're also on the team for repairing the Starboard Cargo airlock tomorrow." He couldn't help groaning, and Hallert grinned. "You break it, you buy it."  
Three months later, Thessia His dress uniform looked much sharper now, a full half-dozen ribbons and new Petty Officer Third Class rank insignia on his shoulders. Russell grinned into the mirror, before turning and quickly going down to the hangar bay. "Tour guides, form up over here!" came the expected shout, and he moved to join a good two dozen other dress uniform attired sailors and marines. They spent twenty minutes going over the tour route, how to respond to questions, and making sure everyone knew where the nearest bathrooms were for every section of the tour.  
They split up, Russell trotting across the hangar bay towards one of the fighters, cleaned and painted and set up on display. He ran over the instructions again in his mind as the first groups entered in.  
The first one his direction, handed over by some marine, was a group of school children led by a human and, to his great surprise, a batarian. He rattled on about the fighter and the capabilities of the hargar bay and launch tubes, trying hard to sound interesting and not boring. He was almost done when one of the girls interrupted him. "What do all those ribbons mean?"  
"Ah. Well, these four are for our last tour in the Skyllian Verge. This one is a marksmanship ribbon for the pistol." He smiled, hoping she wouldn't –  
"What's that green and orange one?" she asked. Damnit.  
"Um, that was for killing a pirate who boarded the ship." His smile was getting strained, and he hoped for a moment that one of the adults would speak up and change the subject, or admonish the children.  
"Cool! How'd you do it?" This from another of the children, who was practically bouncing. And holding the hand of the batarian in the group. If I believed in God, this would be the opportune moment to look at the ceiling and shout, "Why me?"  
"I, ah, had just finished soldering a conduit back together after it overloaded, and I, um, stabbed him in it." He could feel beads of sweat starting to pop out on his forehead now.  
"Through the armor?" came the rasping batarian voice. He thought he managed to restrain flinching. He hoped so, anyway.  
"Well, um, no. He, um, had an open helmet, and I, ah, stabbed him in the mouth with it." His face felt hot enough to light off another impromptu grenade, or maybe duplicate the effects of a solar flare.  
"That's pretty impressive," the batarian said, and all of the kids were looking suitably impressed. That was a good sign, right?"  
"Yes, um, thank you, ah, thanks. The, um, next part of the tour is down this way, you get to see one of the living compartments and the mess hall." He led them over to the stairwell as quickly as the children could manage. "Please use the handrails, and enjoy the rest of your tour of the SSV Hawking."  
The human in the group paused while the batarian and two adult asari led the children down. "First time dealing with asari kids?" he asked sympathetically.  
"First time dealing with any kids that weren't my cousins," Russell muttered darkly.  
The human just laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "They're not that bad. You get used to it pretty quick." He joined another adult asari, clasping her hand briefly before heading down the stairs.  
Russell watched them go, turning to return to his spot and receive the next group, which were at least older children. "Better you than me," he muttered to himself.


	4. A Liddell 1: Through the Looking Glass

**Alice Liddell 1: Through the Looking Glass**

** Written and Submitted by: Kendoka Girl**

Heat roiled up from the dusty ground around me on this hothouse alien world. I could feel the warm sweat running down my back, soaking my coveralls beneath my hardsuit, even with the coolant systems running on max. My Harrier assault rifle was pointed low, into the dirt, impotent…as I stared at one single object ahead of me.

_How did I get into this mess?_

It was all to have been so simple – fly in…pick up a source…fly out. The trip to Temerarus was easy. Once the shuttle was stored in the old turian hangar, I was supposed to just hang out until the team returned with the target. The food there was pretty decent with the contractors and all and I heard they played a mean game of poker. Plus, it would have been exciting to watch the resurfacing of the abandoned base.

Simple, huh?

Somehow, I was talked into coming on the expedition and I changed from my flight suit into a hardsuit and was handed weapons and ammo. After checking the selector to ensure it was on safe, I put the muzzle of the Harrier into a clearing barrel like I had been told a million and one times and then slapped in a thermal clip. I heard the click, tugging once, and then pressed the catch with my left hand.

A round chambered…rock and roll.

For good measure, I took along a Carniflex pistol and shoved it in a thigh rig, clasping the plastic ring over the slide. I then threw on a helmet, happy to be part of this exciting expedition.

We jumped into the planetary rover, which mounted a Typhoon machine gun on the roof to deal with any trouble, and drove into the scorched countryside to rendezvous with the source, who was suppose to be reliable…suppose to be.

Famous last words.

Upon our arrival into the mining town, I dismounted from the vehicle and fell in with the squad. All seemed quiet around the habitation modules various robotic miners milling about, loading ore into a hopper. Lights flicked on and off in one of the modules. That was the signal, according to the team lead. We filed into the module and I let the team be about their business as I leaned against a wall, happy to be out of the heat.

I foolishly removed my helmet to wipe my moist forehead.

Rookie move.

It was then, that I felt the muzzle a pistol on the side of my head.

_How did I get into this mess?_

I turned slowly to look down the barrel of a black pistol, aimed now between my eyes. I swore I could see the round, gleaming silver at the end of that deadly tube. All around me, friendly rifles rose in retaliation, pointing back at my would be killer.

_How did I get into this mess?_

I am Major Alice Liddell, Systems Alliance Marine Corps and this is how my story unfolds…

I stood there for what seemed eternity as my eye began to focus on other issues. There was a hand, holding the pistol, shaking slightly. He was as scared as I was. My partners moved forward aggressively, rifles held high with intent to kill and shouting ensued, much of which I did not understand.

The face behind the gun was stoic, but nervous. Certainly one who had met death and embraced it. Unexpectedly, he grinned broadly and his four batarian eyes gleamed and he lowered the pistol.

I breathed a sigh of relief as my fellow troops bundled the batarian up and began to speak to him. It turned out that he was the source we were suppose to meet and this whole game was charade so he could tell the warlords that he did not cooperate, but indeed had killed an Alliance marine…anyone would do. I just happened to be the mutt that removed her helmet at the time.

I sat, weakened to the bones, but still coherent. I let the cool air conditioning beat down upon my face, reminding me of my mistake. I could hear the source chatting with interpreters for sometime before all went silent.

Footsteps kicked up dust on the ground of the module. "Okay, major, time to ship out. You kept your head pretty well back there. You can never trust these batarian terrorists. They'd just as soon kill you as feed you," one NCO said in passing, hauling me to my feet.

"Thanks, Sarge. Intell says that they are infiltrating Alliance colonies as we speak."

He smirked. "Scuttlebutt, pure scuttlebutt."

As I turned to go, the source gave me a wink and aimed his finger at my head. I ignored him and boarded the rover.

The ride back to the spaceport uneventful until I got back to OPS. The XO of the base handed me a datapad, which I powered up immediately. I ran the encryption algorithm and words began to scroll up the pad. As I read it, the precedence level was high and it was eyes only. What the dickens was something like this coming to me for?

ALLIANCE TS/FP/LN - EYES ONLY

PRECEDENCE: PRIORITY

TO: LIDDELL, ALICE, MAJ SAMC

FROM: SPACOM J-2

RE: HALO RING

PROCEED WITHOUT DELAY TO GALACTIC COORDINATES B5U8T3Z5H1, THERE TO EMBARK TEAM FOR OPERATION HALO RING. NEW DESTINATION AND MISSION PARAMETERS TO BE PROVIDED AT THAT TIME BY TEAM LEAD, CALL SIGN MUMTAZ 1. YOUR CALLSIGN IS PANDA EXPRESS. HIS AUTHENTICATION IS DELTA HOTEL FIVE NINER.

END MESSAGE

I ran my omni-tool over the pad and received verification of its authenticity. "Hey, XO, what's the deal with this? You know anything?" He and I were of the same rank so I didn't feel the need to pay him any undue deference.

The middle aged officer in Navy blues shook his head. "Nope, sorry major. This thing came in on a fast transport this morning. They could have just transmitted it...I mean we have secure comms, but someone had to deliver it personally."

"Who," I asked, half my face scrunched up in curiosity.

"Eh, some intell weenie, pencil necked guy. I didn't pay much attention."

"Did you get a name, commander?"

"Lieutenant...Smith something. Wait, he signed in on the log. Yeah, it was Smith, Harold Smith, SPACOM J-293 section."

Something about that nagged at me and I just had a feeling that was an alias. Nobody was ever going to find a Lieutenant Harold Smith in the service registry. "Alright, thanks, XO. I'll be shoving off. SPACOM needs another VIP delivery. It sounds like a baby sit, just like this one."

"I heard you had a little too much fun out there, major."

"Yeah, fucking batarians," I said in disgust. "I hope they milk that asshole for every gram of intell he has and I hope he's worth it."

The lieutenant commander smirked. "Oh, they will. Don't worry about that. Hey, grab a couple of boxes of food and a some drinks for the road. And here's a coin for your visit. Camp Temerarus - There's No Place Like Home and That Ain't Here."

I had to chuckle at the wry colonial service humor. People had to keep a keen wit in places like this, far away from family and duking it out on some rat hole. I pulled one out of my helmet bag and put it on the counter in front of him, taking his coin in turn.

He gave it a once over. "The 1056th Special Transport Squadron. What's so special about it?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't figured that out yet"

"Well, if you do, give me ring, will you?"

"Sure thing, XO. I'll keep my helmet on this time. See you around." I headed back to the bird, reading the space and sky conditions on my omni-tool and I could see the ground team refueling my ride. Hoses ran vital fluids to her as technicians looked over the eezo core and systems. I had to admire our bird every time we flew. She was a sleek thing, pretty sporty with a few surprises for any nasties out there.

Second Lieutenant Nate Williams was just finishing the walk around with the crew chief as I walked up. "Ma'am, everything checks," he said with a snappy salute that was duplicated by the chief. "The crew's aboard and supplies are stocked."

I returned the salute. "Very good, lieutenant...chief." I signed for the bird and saw that Williams had done a thorough pre-flight, much better than I was used to as a Second in Command. I was always in a rush...always trying to do ten things at once. I've always been fortunate to have people better than I around me. "Let's get aboard. Thank you, chief. We'll see you on the next run. Not too soon, I hope."

"You take care, ma'am."

The flight to the galactic coordinates was pretty mundane. The Nav fed in the data and the shuttle practically flew itself after that, passing through the relay and then to FTL. In less than half an hour we were bordering the Terminus Systems. I took the time to review reports and catch up on the performance evals that I had to write. Admin was always one of the weakest areas in my repertoire of skills.

I let out a big sigh. "Why does the Alliance have to change the reporting process every week? This is ridiculous."

Nate looked a little intimidated. "I'm sure they have their reasons," he said more as a question than a statement.

"I'll tell you why, lieutenant. Every desk jockey at HQ has to make his or her mark on the system. You get your desk up there and it's all, _oh, I have to change something to get noticed so I can get promoted._ And, nobody wants to be there, so no one lasts more than six months before they latch their nose on to someone else's ass. Then, the next guy comes in and it's all, _oh, I have to change something to get noticed so I can get promoted._"

Nate just nodded. He was young, just out of flight school. He'd learn soon enough. I handed him a data pad. "Lieutenant, did you do your mandatory security training? You don't want to be caught without that."

The navigator, Captain Jake "JJ" Jeffries, laughed out loud. He and I were on the same sheet of music as we'd flown together for a few years. Nate shook his head. "No, ma'am," he said as he powered up the pad and logged into the network for the training.

A silly singsong voice came from the data pad. "Welcome to Alliance Defense Network security training. Together, we will strive for excellence," it said as a cartoon began to play. An animated rabbit strolled through a secured area and put classified data pads into its basket. In the cartoon, an alarm went off along with flashing red lights and a turtle began chasing the rabbit. "Security breach in progress!"

Nate looked over to me with this wtf expression. "Ma'am, is this a joke?"

"I wish it was."

Jake leaned over. "Oh, it gets better."

In the cartoon, a bulldog came on the screen and pointed right at Nate. "What do you do? What do you do?" the dog said with a snarl.

"I uhhh, help the turtle?" Nate more asked than stated.

JJ and I both sang out, "Baaaah, wrong answer! Waa wa waaaaaa."

The data pad nearly mirrored our mockery and red lights and sirens went off. "Wrong answer. The correct answer is to do nothing." The lieutenant looked more confused than ever. The scene faded on the screen and turtle got a call on his omni-tool. The bulldog reappeared. "What do you do? What do you do?"

"Ummm, I answer it?"

The bulldog smiled. "That's co...co...core..." The cartoon froze and would accept no further answer.

Nate tapped the data pad with his finger several times and then shook it. "It crashed. I can't reset the program."

I shrugged. "You gotta call the help desk at Alliance Training Command. Use your omni-tool."

JJ shook his head. "Raven, you are just mean."

The lieutenant powered up his omni-tool. "Alliance Training Command...Help Desk."

"Hello."

"Hello," Nate began. "I want to-"

"This is the automated Alliance Training Command Help Center. If you are having problems with your online training, please submit your problem work ticket through your training data pad."

"But the data pad is frozen."

"For Spanish, please say Spanish."

"But I can't-"

"For Swahili, please say Swahili."

Nate jabbed the data pad hard now, but it wouldn't budge. The bulldog's frozen smile still graced the screen.

"Lieutenant," I said, "you're screwed. I'm going to have to notify the Security Officer. That asshole is going to pull your clearance. You're done. I'll let you off at the next dock."

"Wh...what? No...please don't. What can I do?"

JJ was in tears by this point, slapping his thigh. "Oh, Raven, enough. Let up on the poor boy." He turned to Nate. "She's just pulling your leg, lieutenant. Raven's a mean old lady. One of these days, she's going to have to learn to play nice."

I batted my eyelashes. "Nice is my middle name."

"Yeah right," JJ said. "Tell Nate about how your mouth got you in trouble with the XO back in the day."

I gave him this smirk, not wanting to be reminded. "Darth Marge? Okay, lieutenant, I wasn't much older than you...just a First Lieutenant back then. The XO hated my guts. She was the worst kind of stinking bureaucrat. I was on a gig that helped bring one of the Terminus pirates in. Guy was wanted for murder. Marge jacked me up for a voucher error of point four one credits."

Nate looked incredulous. "You mean less than one credit?"

"Yup," I said and then simulated pulling out my credit pad. "I got a credit right here, I told her. You can keep the change." I began waving my hands in the air, feigning hysterics. "It doesn't work that way, she bellowed. That's a different funding source!"

"So, what happened?"

"I had a sudden and mysterious transfer from that squadron and I ended up in this gig. It was a blessing in disguise though."

"How so?"

"Eh, personal stuff. I had to work on my marriage. I was gone all the time. This deal is way more stable."

Before anyone else could speak, one of the panels buzzed. I pointed to Nate. "Change our squawk, civilian code and activate the outer hull shift," I said, ordering him to alter our physical and electronic signature to simulate a personal yacht. "Bring the defensive systems online, standby mode."

"Shift protocol engaged, defensive suite online, aye."

JJ leaned over. "We're getting a spike off the port side, one hundred and fifty kilometers, K-band sensor."

"Slow and easy," I said. "We're just out for a cruise."

"EID, friendly," JJ added, indicating that their sensor signature was Alliance. We all breathed a sigh of relief. "Coded channel up."

I keyed the push to talk. "Mumtaz One, Panda Express."

"Mumtaz One here. I authenticate Delta Hotel Five Niner."

"Authentication verified. The Panda Express is ready to take your order."

The team came aboard from a Kodiak shuttle, eight men in black hardsuits and weapons packs, thick beards and sunglasses. There was no nonsense about them. I greeted them at the hatch. "Welcome aboard, Mumtaz One."

Not a one smiled. The one that seemed to be the leader gave me a head nod. "Major."

"Cabins are aft," I said, pointing to the rear.

Without another word, they headed back. I noticed that three of them wore a patch that bore the symbol of a downward facing 'C' in black and gold. "So, who are you guys?" I asked.

One guy turned back, bald with a thick goatee and a cheek full of chew. "Cerberus. Civilian contract black ops," he said and then tilted his head, looking at me sideways. "You're Alice Liddell?"

I looked at him sideways. "Yeah, what of it?"

"We're going to want to chat later," he said, never raising his sunglasses. I was about to say something more, but he turned and caught up with the rest of his team.

I scrunched up half of my face. "What the fuck?" I said to no one in particular.

We never saw the team for the rest of the day, the only contact coming in the form of a text from the team lead that instructed us to proceed to a new set of coordinates and instructions. That was easy enough. JJ punched in the data and we were back to FTL. I had done runs like this before so I had an idea of what we were up to. Some of the teams were real friendly, some were assholes, and some were just prima donnas like these seemed to be. I was real close to one of the teams and one of the N's taught me to shoot like a pro.

The text had given us a new set of parameters. Our squawk went cold and we altered our sensor and power signatures. "I think we're meant to look like another pirate," I surmised out loud.

"That'd be my guess," JJ said. There was a sensor beep. "Asteroid field coming up, two minutes current velocity."

I set the timer, watching the clock run down to twenty seconds. "Dropping out of FTL. Autopilot coming off." As we returned to normal space, we could see the ring of asteroids clustered ahead of us.

"Sensor map coming up," JJ said and a display of the field came up on the haptic interface.

I guided the ship around floating rocks, bringing us ever nearer to the final waypoint. "Fifty thousand meters...forty thousand...thirty...," I counted down. We broke out of the field into a section of clear space. "Go emissions control," I said, following the instructions. "Cut power and sensors." The lights dimmed. We would coast to the finish. Now, we just looked like another rock, floating away from the pack. The flight management system showed that we were at the waypoint. What now?

JJ snapped his fingers. "Sensor spike, two o'clock, Ku-Band, three terrawatt output, five hundred Hertz cycle. Secondary, Sierra-Band surveillance sensor, two point eight terrawatt output."

"Just tumble along," I said. "We're still close enough to the field for clutter." JJ's hands flew over the haptic interface as he cataloged the various signals. "Feed that shit to defensive systems," I added.

The data flowed to the defensive suite just as there was a knock on the cabin door. It was the leader of Mumtaz 1. "Major, I'm going to need you to power up in five minutes. There will be a vessel approaching. You will transmit this message," he said and handed me a data card, "on that frequency and then lay alongside the vessel. We will just be one big happy pirate family."

"Then what?"

"We'll do the rest," he said, grinning through his bushy beard.

"All right. Good hunting."

He turned aft and circled his finger in the air. "Saddle up, team. Go in six minutes."

The clock counted down a new timetable. At the five minute mark I pointed to Nate, who looked as white as a sheet. "Power us back up," I said. The lights went full bright and the sensor panel showed a sweep again.

"Nose hot," Nate said.

"Contact," JJ said, his voice rising as the sensor warning receiver sang out, "bullseye, three three five, mark ten, fifteen kilometers, closing fast. Lidar shifting to X-band. PRF is high. They have targeting scanners on us. Defensive suite shifting to active."

"Standby on that," I said and plugged the data card into the comm suite. "Transmitting now."

JJ blew out a breath. "Lidar shifting back to Ku-Band. Contact, two kilometers, slowing."

I powered down the main engines. "Going to thrusters. Coming to port, thirty degrees. Prepare formation course."

"Formation course, aye."

Vectors began to display on the FMS screen as the computer figured out a course solution. As the vessel came into visual range, I continued our turn to port until we were side by side at fifty meters. I just hoped that the emitters on the hull held and kept up the image of us as a pirate ship. "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest," I quipped.

"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum." It was Nate. He was getting into the spirit now.

Well, nobody had opened fire yet. That was a good sign. Our intercom crackled. "Mumtaz One, in the airlock. Egressing now."

I watched in amazement as eight men in hardsuits rocketed towards the pirates and landed on its hull. They immediately slapped on breaching charges. "Arrr, me hearties. The jig is up," I said, pointing to JJ. "Defensive suite active. Nate, prepare for evasive."

Explosions rippled along the pirate's hull and then the men disappeared through jagged holes. Our sensor warning receiver practically screamed at us. "Scanners locked on us!" JJ called. "Weapons powering."

That was one thing about our bird, it had no weapons of its own. Our survival depended solely on speed, stealth, and skill. Alone and unafraid was one of our mottos even though only one part of that was really true. As we nosed up hard, the defensive suite showed full green and emitters along our hull burst with energy that matched the pirate's scanner frequency. I saw flashes of light along the pirate's hull as they fired.

"Broke lock!" JJ said. "Shots went wide."

"Set azimuth gate," I instructed the suite. The pirate's scanners probed again for us and receivers along our hull captured the signals and sent them back at a slightly different frequency. This time shots passed behind us. "Mumtaz," I said out loud, "whatever you're going to do, do it quick. We can't keep this up."

As if my prayers were answered, the radio crackled. "Mumtaz One, in control. Powering down."

JJ nodded. "Hostile sensor signature offline and power signature reduced. We're in the clear."

I blew out a long breath. "Shiver me timbers."

We retreated to the asteroid field to check for damage and assess our situation. Amazingly, all seemed good. The team would fly the pirate vessel back home and we would escort them back to Alliance space. As anticipated, I had my chat. In the spacious lounge I sat with the three Cerberus black ops characters. They were still in their black hardsuits, their leader still with a cheek full of tobacco. He spat into a cup. "So, Alice, I understand you have a good skill set."

I was mildly insulted that he avoided using my rank, but I let it slide. "I can hold my own."

He shrugged, leaning forward. "Good with a sword and hand to hand. You shoot pretty well and you have been around the block a couple of times. You know, we can give you one of those monomolecular blades. That stuff cuts through armor like a hot knife through butter."

I'd heard about those. "Swords are just a hobby. I still prefer a gun if I have to throw down," I said and then squinted one eye. "So, what's the point of all this?"

"Cerberus could use a good skill set like yours. We'll train you to use that sword. Phantom program. No bureaucracy, no bullshit, just good ops."

"You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head and grinned. "No, no bullshit. We do some force protection, some consulting too. The money's good. You and your husband could have a good life. We need attorneys too. He would fit right in. You think about it a while. No rush," he said and then pressed some swag into my hand, a few patches and a challenge coin, depicting the three headed dog standing guard over earth.

Phantom program. That sounded scary. I had a good gig where I was at. "Okay, I'll think about it. Thanks for the offer," I said with a warm non-commitment as I shook his hand. Diplomacy was my middle name.


	5. Vanessa Valentine 1: Loyalty

**Vanessa Valentine 1: Loyalty**

**Written and submitted by TenyumeKasumi**

Grey-metal doors glide smoothly open and a man is shoved roughly past them. He looks much the worse for wear, bruises litter his skin and a cut on his forehead oozes blood that trickles into his blue eye. His hands are bound behind his back, his arm held fast by a batarian who half-carries, half-drags him deeper into the dim-lit room. He has on a standard-issue Alliance uniform which is torn and burnt at several places.

The batarian throws him to the floor at the foot of a dais and he meets it with a jarring grunt. For a moment, he just lays there; trying to keep his breathing in control, get his head to stop spinning and put himself together enough to find a way out of this mess. Above him, the obnoxiously loud music of Afterlife pounds away, signalling warningly to him like a rattlesnake's rattle. Matted tips of auburn hair obscure his vision of the floor, which reflects the ambient glow of the red lighting. His ragged breathing is the only noise in the otherwise silent room.

Then he hears it, that woman's voice. His entire being is instantly filled with contempt. "What have you got there, Gorbak?"

"Vermin," replies the batarian from somewhere behind him. He couldn't see his face, but could hear the sneer in his tone. "The one who has been hunting you for the past few weeks."

A brief silence before a response, "Hm. Excellent job, Gorbak. This may prove exciting. You may leave."

There is a grunt of acknowledgement, the sound of footsteps echoing in his ears and fading away before the small beep signals Gorbak's departure and the locking of the door. The man on the floor tenses, gritting against the pain. He is alone in a secluded room with the traitorous bitch. This was the opportunity he had been looking for the past two months. His body was itching for him to finally kill her, feel her blood on his hands. Swearing inwardly, he cursed his luck for him to be caught and captured at such a critical moment. He would wait, he decided, bide his time and watch for an opening. Then he would strike. He felt his hand twitch in anticipation.

"Still alive? Say, are you just going to lay there all night? I don't know about you, but I don't quite like being interrupted when I'm in the middle of something, you know." Her voice is grating on his nerves. "Hey, say something, would you?"

With an audible growl, the Alliance marine fights the pain and manages to scramble to an upright position on his knees. Even with one eye blinded with his own blood, which made it difficult to see, he could still make out the traitor's face in the dimly lit room.

Sitting atop the dais on a brown leather armchair is a girl no older than twenty. She had distinctly Asian features – small murky-brown eyes, a rather small, flat nose and a high forehead. Straight black hair falls in loose locks to the middle of her back with bangs framing her face. Her skin is a mild tan. She looks short, just a little over five feet. If they were to stand side by side, the top of her head wouldn't even reach his shoulders. The woman has on a Chinese-style sleeveless top made of black lace with a golden peacock embroidered on the front with a pair of black pants to match.

His attention is zeroes in on a chain around her neck, holding a pair of dog tags that glint softly in the light. The symbol of the System Alliance can just be made out, but a long, jagged scratch etched on the metal strikes through it – as thought cancelling it out. He's giving her the best death glare he could manage in his weakened condition, but she hasn't even bothered looking at him – her nose is buried in a book. An actual book made of bound paper. Angered at being ignored, he finds the strength to surge to his feet. "What, a monkey like you can't figure out how to use everyday technology that you need outdated crap like that?"

It gets her attention, and her gaze flits from the page she's on to his banged up face. "What, a kid like you isn't mature enough to appreciate the old times and its culture?"

He grins sardonically at her weak rebuke. It did nothing to him. "Feh. Who are you calling a kid? I'm older than you are."

Both eyebrows rise in response. "Oh? And how old are you?"

He almost scoffs at her, spits at the foot of the dais. But he holds back. "Twenty three."

"Hm. You have three years on me. Not that big of a difference. We're both still young, don't worry." She waves her hand dismissively, returning to her book. His glare transforms into a glower and he's about to raise his voice when she starts talking.

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians. An adventure-fiction series written in the twenty-first century by some guy called Rick Riordan. Decent enough, but not nearly as good as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. Then again, I must be mad for thinking someone can beat Tolkien in fantasy writing. Still, I'd recommend it if you're not too fussy about character development, it's a bit lacking in that department." Her face breaks out into an excited grin that as she holds up the book higher. "I gotta say though, Riordan did a nice job with modernising the Roman gods! I mean, Poseidon with a Hawaiian shirt and fishing pole? Not bad."

The marine jeers in reply, "I don't give a fuck about books."

The girl sighs, shoulders drooping a little. Her eyes never leaving the page. "That's sad. You're missing out on a lot."

"No thanks, I've got more important things to do than read a couple of stupid novels." He sneers. "Like hunting down Alliance traitors."

A sudden clap resounds around the room as she shuts the book with a sharp snap. Her eyes finally meet his as though she's seeing him for the first time. Her expression is one of innocence. "Ah, about that. You're the one who's been following me around lately?"

The man grunts and looks away. "What did you think it was? A pony?"

She ignores the taunt. "But why go all through this trouble? Surely the Alliance has better things to do than go around chasing former marines."

"Course they do. I'm just acting alone."

This seems to pique her interest greatly. Her eyebrows go up and her eyes grow round. "Oh." she says. Then her visage breaks into another grin. "Well then, I'm flattered that you think me important enough that you would abandon them to come after me. All the way to Omega, leaving your precious Alliance behind." Then she leans back in her seat, crossing her legs and settling her arms on the armrests. "Don't you think it's a little hypocritical, though? You criticise me for abandoning the Alliance, yet here you are yourself. I doubt that you were given permission to go gallivanting around space to find me."

A derisive snort escapes him as he spits back at her, anger swelling in his veins. "That's different. When I kill you, I'll be getting rid of another of the Alliance's obstacles and I'll be welcomed back a hero."

She snorts as well, though hers expressed amusement rather than rage. "You seriously think that? Besides, do you honestly think you can defeat me in that state? Me, the Pimp of Afterlife?"

"That's a disgusting title." he growls out scornfully. "Even more disgusting that you wear that fucking name with pride, like some kind of trophy. Omega's a shithole, and you're one of its main sewages. I know what you really do. Have you abandoned your humanity, Vanessa Valentine?"

Finally, a reaction - she narrows her eyes when speaks her name, but answers, "Is everyone who leaves the Alliance considered as having abandoned their humanity? That's like saying anyone who leaves Earth to go off world doesn't have a soul."

"_You_ are the one without a soul." he spat, clenching his hands into fists at his side. "Leaving the Alliance and joining Aria T'Loak – hell, you're working for her!"

Vanessa appears visibly affronted as she crosses her arms to show her displeasure. "I'll have you know that all my workers are operating under me of their own free will and are not subjected to any force, physical or psychological, whatsoever. And I don't appreciate you using the phrase 'working for'-"

"I could give a fuck what you appreciate or not and I'm not talking about your damn nightclub business." His fists clench tighter, the broken, bleeding fingernails digging into his palms behind his back. "I'm talking about your backstage operations. The things you've been doing under Aria's orders. Groups of mercenaries opposing her are wiped out overnight. Individuals who threaten the stability of Omega just disappear. Anyone who causes trouble who isn't dealt with by the Blue Suns, Blood Pack or Eclipse are quickly silenced – one way or another. The sex trade isn't the only thing you've got going. You're not just a pimp; you're Aria's scout, a harbinger."

"So what if I am?" Vanessa asks cooly, resting her chin on her palm.

"I could give a flying shit what you do on Omega but you've been interfering with other things too. I know you were the one behind the supply chain cut to the research base on Eingana. Then they find out heir shuttles were mysteriously sabotaged and rendered useless.

"They sent out word for help but before the recon shuttles could arrive... There was a biotic explosion from the facility's drive core. The other staff were saved, but the top scientists at the base were trapped inside when it happened." He grit his teeth. If only looks could kill, he'd have her drowning in acid and ripped limb to limb. "You did that."

"That I did." she said straight up, not even trying to deny it. For some reason it only incensed him more.

"WHY?!" he hears himself roar. "Why would you kill your own kind, drive them into a corner like hunted animals?! Those people were non-combatants, defenceless! And - and you just offed them, just like that!" He stops to regain his breath, breathing heavily as if he had run a mile. His wounds are stinging and weeping blood, aches dominated every inch of muscle and he's pretty sure at least one of his ribs are broken. But his spirit is aflame with hate and his heart full of rage.

"Twenty two good people died that day. Those scientists were researchers, deployed there to analyse the eezo deposits and use the data to further the development of humanity. They were innocent. They deser-"

"Enough." Vanessa's quiet tone could be heard throughout the room. The atmosphere about her had changed. As though she had electrified the air with it. A sudden sense trepidation wells up in his being and he pauses.

"Before you continue spouting your extremist crap, make sure you even know what you're talking about and not just swallow whatever shit the Alliance feeds you, you blind fool."

He growled as his anger returned full force. "Jut who the f- "

"Tell me, what is your name?"

He bites his tongue and almost tells her to go to hell before he spits out, "Rave. Rave Browning."

"Tell me, Mr. Browning…" she says, clasping her hands together on her lap. "Just what do you think those scientists on Eingana were doing studying eezo deposits?"

Rave seethed, baring his teeth at her. "I'm sure you already knew; they were supposed to develop new methods of refining- "

"Initially, yes." Vanessa interrupted, nodding in agreement; a lock of black hair slipping from her ear with the movement. "But of course – priorities change, don't they?"

Rave narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

The Pimp of Omega leans forward in her seat, crossing her forearms on her knees. "Oh, nothing much. Unless you consider rogue scientists conducting experiments on live human subjects for biotic enhancement using abnormal amounts of eezo exposure and racking up the body count to be something a little concerning. Then no, It wasn't anything much."

Blue eyes widening, military boots scuff the floor as Rave unconsciously took a step back. For a moment, it felt as if time had frozen and a chill had stopped his heart. His next word comes out in a shocked whisper, "What?"

Vanessa's own dark eyes brighten as she breaks into an amicable grin, as if they were discussing something as pleasant as cake and icing flavours. "Ah… You don't know. Of course you don't. Of course they won't tell you, would they? Shall I tell you? Do you want to know? Does the loyal, good little soldier want to know?"

He growls. "Don't mock me!"

Chuckling, she flicked her wrist placatingly. "All right, all right. It's story time, then." With an abrupt movement, she twists her body around so she's sitting sideways, back on one armrest and her legs dangling off the other end. She looks up at the ceiling. "Once upon a time, in a world far, far away lived a few good, little scientists. They had big dreams and wanted the galaxy to recognise what the human race was truly made of so they worked very hard." The lock of hair she was playing with falls from her hands and she turns her gaze onto him instead. Where her face was once mockingly jovial and smiling, it's now unreadable, her eyes blank as they assess his reaction.

"After a while however, they began to get frustrated. 'Why aren't we making progress?' asked one. 'Why aren't we able to make a difference?' asked another. 'Surely there is more we can do.' exclaimed a third. And so slowly, they started to do more research, a little more experiments. Until one fine day, one of the good little scientists finds a report of an old, abandoned facility in another world far, far away. It was a place named Pragia."

And suddenly, it clicks into place and Rave sees where she's going with this. His heart drops to his stomach and he feels as if the ground had been swept from under his feet to leave him dangling helplessly over the abyss. He shakes his head, takes a step back. "No."

Vanessa smiles and continues, "The good, little scientists got excited about the idea behind Pragia. This could be the key to the rise of their race! So, with great enthusiasm, they began their work."

Another step back. "Stop it." Rave tries to shout, but his voice comes as barely a whisper. So did this mean that those… bodies in the underground cells were not mercenary pirates…?

"But first, they need subjects for their experiments. A message was sent to a nearby colony asking for a little help. The loyal, little scientists just wanted participants for a few light experiments. It was harmless, they said. Just some blood samples, they told them."

"Stop…"

"A shuttle was sent. The scientists wanted variety, so they took many different people. There was an old lady with a short cane. A little boy with blonde hair. A young woman in a pink dress- "

"ENOUGH!" Rave finally screams. "You're lying, you're FUCKING _LYING_! It's not true! Even if they deviated from orders and went rogue, humans never- "

His next words are abruptly cut off with a gasp as a bolt of blue zips from across the room and strikes him square in the chest. Backing those few steps had brought him close to the wall so his back crashed painfully against it and the force jerks his head which cracks on the metal wall. Blue energy crackles around him, blinding him. Panicking at the sudden assault and fresh wave of pain, he tries to breathe but a pressure on his chest is hindering him.

"I wasn't done with the story yet," says a voice in his ear and he shivers and curses at the same time, shying from it. A biotic charge, of course. Vanessa Valentine was a Vanguard during her time in the Alliance. "and little boys shouldn't go to sleep until story time is over."

"Y-You.. twisted- Guh!" he grunts as she lifts him by the neck and slams him against the wall again.

"Now, now," she says chidingly, like a mother admonishing a bad child. "Let's listen closely, hm? The old lady with the cane gave her granddaughter a hug before she left, saying she would be back to pick berries together soon. The blonde boy's parents showered him with kisses and told him he was going to see many exciting things – big ships, robot mechs – he'll see. The young woman embraced her fiancé, and they smiled as they discussed their marriage for when she returned. Others said their goodbyes to families and friends and they went along their merry way to Eingana with the scientists.

"When they got there, it was nothing like they had imagined. They were so very confused at first, but when the scientists began to pick and tinker with them one by one - oh, how they screamed! They screamed and screamed but the no-longer good little scientists carried on. They cut them open with sharp knives without letting them to sleep first, they removed their arms and legs and replaced them with cybernetics to see if biotic ability improved with less organic flesh to the body. The boy was the first; he died with half his face missing and all his pretty blonde hair fallen off. The young woman was all skin and bones when she went, her eyes sunken, cheeks hollow and her skin hanging off of her in folds. As for the old lady- "

"Please," Rave hears himself beg over the crackle of biotics. Tears ran down his face as he sobbed and he couldn't stop them. "Please, stop."

She finally, mercifully does, and looks up at him as she holds him pinned against the dented wall. The look in her eyes is not gleeful, not triumphant, not even mocking – they hold only grim acceptance.

"So who's the traitor now?" she asks quietly. "Me, or them?"

He tries to shake his head, he's beginning to feel dizzy from being suspended like that.

"I- "

"The thresher maw attack on Akuze, that was the work of Alliance researchers as well." She continues in the same, deathly silent voice like one would use in a morgue. "And then there was Torfan, so many unnecessary deaths- "

"T-That's- " he protests weakly, grabbing at Vanessa's hands half-heartedly. The fight had left him and the fire in his eyes had died.

"Accept it." she breathed.

He doesn't answer, only let his hands fall to his sides and his gaze slip to the ceiling. Then he croaks a bark of laughter. "You're not going to let me leave alive, are you?"

The abrupt change in subject seems to disarm her momentarily. "No."

"Then why tell me all this? Why talk to me at all?"

"Because… " she trails off, hangs her head so her face is shadowed by her bangs. For a moment, so brief that he wonders if he imagined it, there is doubt in her aura and her hold on his neck slackens.

But then she raises him still higher, and her hands glow brighter.

"Story time is over now," she says softly. "It's time to go to sleep."

There is a gasping grunt, a crunch and crack, and a body falls heavily to the floor with its head bent in an awkward angle. The blue glow on Vanessa's hands dies as she looks down upon the corpse at her feet with something like resignation. The scored Alliance tags jingle in the new silence of them room.

He never heard her answer.

"Because… I just needed somebody to talk to about it."

* * *

Afterlife's music is loud, it floods the mind, awakens the senses but doesn't drown you. It coaxes you out of the facade of your everyday shell to emerge, reborn to the person you were truly meant to be. In another time, another life. Within the walls of the nightclub is a whole other world. A world where a second, different, otherworldly life rules and where the world outside is not real.

Vanessa sat at the bar of Upper Afterlife, hair clumsily done up ina messy bun and dressed in her usual outfit of black lace top and slacks. Legs crossed and chin on her palm, she surveying the crowd while chasing the straw in the glass of her amber drink around with her finger. Asari dancers in barely sufficient clothing twined themselves around gleaming chrome poles; dim, multi-coloured lights flashed and roamed all around the club in time to the music and patrons were lounging about on every surface. A man sits relaxed on a couch surrounded by an ensemble of giggling asari and human women as he swirled a glass of champagne in his hand. The turian bartender tossed shakers and glasses and juggled them in the air, impressing the group of assorted alien females whose drinks he was preparing. Vanessa's eyes narrowed as she spotted one of the asari dancers over by the steps being harassed by a drunken volus. She was more worried about the volus – Rhaja had a reputation for her temper. She looked like she was going to losing it and Afterlife didn't need that sort of publicity.

Straightening, Vanessa caught the eye of one of the batarian bouncers standing vigil by the entrance. She tossed her head at Rhaja, whose hands were already beginning to crackle with biotic energy as the volus slid a hand on her knee. His four eyes flicker there and back before he nods and went to ward off the impending confrontation.

Vanessa watched for a moment as he bodily pulled the squirming volus away by the neck before returning her attention to her drink. Before she could take a sip, a body in a red dress slid into the empty seat next to her.

"Good evening, ma'am." greeted Eva, nervously smoothing the fabric of her crimson, satin dress over her lap. Her blonde hair neatly brushed and tucked behind her ears. Green eyes were downcast and focused on the counter as the attractive woman and Vanessa's best asset fidgeted with her hands.

'Asset', because 'prostitute' sounded rather crude and too low-class to her ears and no one would get it if she used the word 'chicken'. And also, Eva was the one who brought her the most profits after all.

"Hello, Eva." smiled Vanessa, bringing her straw to her lips. "I see you're well and ready. That's good."

"Erm, yes ma'am." she replied quickly, eyes still on the counter.

Vanessa rolled her eyes to the flashing, dizzying ceiling. "Please, Eva. I told you not to call me that. It makes me feel older than I actually am."

Though if Vanessa had to admit it, she'd say that it did feel odd at times; to be dealing in a trade that sold pretend-love with people who were older than she was. Next to her, even sitting, twenty-three-year-old Eva had a good six to seven inches on her. It reminded her of the irony of their positions. Then she would remind herself that it was only survival of the fittest, age did not matter. Only your prowess and your ability to keep your head above the water – and hopefully sinking the people you didn't like down to the waterfloor.

Eva paused for a second before lifting her eyes and offering a tentative smile. "I… I mean; yes, V.V."

Vanessa tilted her head and gave Eva a wide grin. "Now that's more like it! Hey, what do you say to a drink? Loosen up a little before work? Lutaro will give you whatever you want."

The previously timid smile morphed into a slightly devious one. "Like the apple juice you're having, V.V.?"

Vanessa pretends to pout childishly, taking a long, indignant sip from her straw. "Hmph. Gotta keep up appearances, y'know."

"Right." comes the reply with a more genuine smile now. "And I think I'll have some wine."

Once both women had been settled with a fresh glass of their chosen beverage, Vanessa turned to Eva.

"So Eva, something on your mind? Hopefully it's not about a chocolate-theft in the storage again. Because if it is, I will go crazy. Did you know that it was actually Bray who did it last time? I made _absolutely_ sure he wouldn't touch my personal share again, though so all should be good. Yup, I think it's good." she beamed at her companion as she sucked on her straw.

"Well, V.V…." Eva trailed off, suddenly nervous again. "About my… termination of work. I was wondering…"

"Ah," Vanessa's lips curled cattishly as she sipped her drink. "Don't worry, I always keep my promises. It's why I don't make any I can't keep."

"Right." breathed Eva with visible relief. "T-Thank you, I suppose."

"Mm. You know, it feels odd to be thanked for something like that." Before Eva could reply, Vanessa waved a hand dismissively with a bark of laughter. "Hah! Just saying, you know. Never thought I'd run into that in this line of work."

The blonde woman nods, then her gaze returns to her fiddling hands on her lap. "And erm, I… wanted to ask…"

"Yes?" prompted the smaller of the two, taking in another long sip of apple juice.

"If… it's alright to ask… how did you come to work here? As my… pimp, I mean."

Vanessa didn't answer at first, staring off into the distance as she nibbled on her straw. A stray wisp of hair escapes the untidy bun and falls into her face but she ignores it. It was true that her… ascension, if it may be called that, to becoming the Afterlife Pimp was shrouded in mystery. As far as the people of Omega knew, one night it was business as usual for the asari pimp Almara and the next – she had simply vanished and a human female barely out of her teens was sitting on her chair. Omega being Omega, nobody had openly questioned it nor asked what about Almara, but it did take several weeks – months even – for her to establish her position and prove herself worthy of respect.

"Well…" she drawled, still staring distantly at the various alcohol on the glass display. "It first started off with some clueless git back on Earth who hated her dad and decided it was a great idea to leave by enlisting in the Alliance." At this, she flashes a toothy grin. "Don't get me wrong though, I still think it was a great idea. That guy was an asshole. Probably still is.

"So anyway, I got rattiest clothes I could find and went to the Alliance and lied about my age, pretended I was an orphan and wanted to be some space hero. That is, the orphan and the age parts was the only pretend bit – I was sixteen at the time. Commander Shepard was – is my idol. Heh, I'll admit, I was chockfull of stupid ideas, thinking I could be like her. Still am. So they bought my story, took me in and hey presto, I'm an Alliance soldier."

Eva only nodded, keeping her sights on the glass she was slowly nursing. Everyone knew that Vanessa had once been an Alliance marine – a fact she didn't exactly try to hide, with the scratched dog tags around her neck – but the fact that she was Earthborn was new.

"Things are fine and dandy for a while. Training was tough, but I got used to it. Martial arts background helped a bit." The dark-haired woman began drawing shapes on the film of condensation on her glass. A smiley face, a fat rooster – "Deployment to the field was exciting, got to see all kinds of places, saw all types of enemies…" she pointed to her left wrist where a misaligned wrist bone stuck out and caused a noticeable bump on her skin. "A krogan merc broke my wrist so badly, the field medics couldn't do much. They managed to fix it so it still works, but it's never been the same again." She flexes it, causing the imperfection to become even more obvious in the inconsistent lighting.

"But then you start noticing things. You sweep them under the carpet at first, thinking it's normal military work. But if you get unlucky, you come to know of something you shouldn't and the actions get so grossly unjust, you can't ignore them anymore. So at some point, I left. Almost four years after enlisting. Must have looked like a real chicken with goldfish guts.

"So anyway, I decide to come to Omega for a change in scenery. And of course, what's a visit to Omega without a trip to Afterlife? So I sneak in. Later, I apparently rub some turian the wrong way and he turns out to be one of Afterlife's bigwig VIP patrons so I get caught and hauled off to see the wizard – I mean, Aria. Don't tell her I said that." Vanessa playfully put a finger over her lips and winked. "If you do, she may just decide to kill me.

"So I got to see the Omega queen for the first time in the flesh. She says something and the next thing I know, I'm being tossed into a room alone with an asari with these ugly green markings on her crest that look like meteor craters."

"Almara." Eva whispered, hands fisting the hem of her red dress. The image of the previous pimp had been unwillingly burned into her mind. If Almara went through the same process of 'employing' her workers as she did with Eva, she knew what was coming next.

"Ayup," said Vanessa, swirling her glass around the counter and spreading the puddle of condensation water. "So I told her so. Didn't like it very much, she didn't. Then she tries to threaten me into becoming one of her little toys. Grabbed onto my collar. Her entire body was thrumming with biotics. I told her I'd rather go down fighting than become some kind of servant under the likes of a crazy bitch like her. Didn't like that either." A smug smirk was on Vanessa's face a she drew shapes on the countertop with the water puddle and tip of her finger.

"So we fought. Completely trashed the place. Must have made quite a racket, nobody dared come inside to see what was going on. Neither of us had a gun, so it was purely a test of biotic power and cunning.

"To cut the long story short, I stepped out of that room alone. You should have seen the look on Gorbak's face – he was standing guard at the time. Took me to see the wiz- I mean, Aria, again. I went since I figured there wasn't much of a way out for me. Never figured she'd tell me to take over as Pimp. Said Almara had always been a bit too power-hungry for her liking anyway. Never knew what they did to her body either and I'd rather not. Anyway, I took her up on it. Sounded perfect, I had a place to stay and credits in my pocket. Besides, Aria doesn't ask – she demands. I may come up with stupid ideas, but that doesn't make me stupid – if she and I went one-on-one and she wanted me dead, I'm dead."

Vanessa flashed a devious smile, waving her arm in a flourish like a matador taking a bow. "And there you have it, a little personal history with former Alliance marine and number one chocolate-lover in the galaxy."

Eva stared for a moment. When Vanessa had replaced Almara, there were already heavy implications that the asari was dead. It was how Omega worked. But to actually hear it was something else. It brought up old memories, memories she'd rather lay buried. She fretted a little, not knowing what to feel.

"You okay, Eva? Or did you want that story about how I once nicked a few notebooks by hiding them up my skirt- "

She started a little, gaze coming back into focus. "N-No, I'm fine." Green eyes glanced quickly at Vanessa before looking away. "I… Thank you, for telling me that."

The young pimp chuckled in reply. "Again with the thank yous. Really, I don't see why you give them to me at all. I _am_ the one who's selling you out to the highest bidders for personal gain." Before Eva had a chance to respond, she stretched and continued, "By the way, it's been fun chatting with you but you might want to go set up at back. A ship from the Citadel is due to dock so we're expecting customers who can actually afford you."

"Oh! A-all right!" said Eva quickly, rising from her chair "I'll be going now!"

Vanessa smiled, leaning over the counter with a cheek to her hand as the other resumed playing with the now mangled straw. "You do that, then."

She watched as the Cuebone Extraordinaire weaved through the crowd and entered the backroom. The woman had a shadow that followed her – it was evident in her green eyes that spoke of some deep, inner conflict. The kind that was difficult to be free of. A sigh escapes her lips as Vanessa put her elbows on the countertop and resumes looking around. A new influx of people had arrived during her talk with Eva. A whole new sea of forgettable faces. Looks like the ship from the Citadel had already arrived. She distantly hoped that everything had been prepared in time.

In the midst of the chaotic lighting, music and muffled chatter, she heard it.

_Clink-cli-clink!_

Turning her head sharply at the sound, she spotted a tall, well-built male – human – with facial hair and a rather interesting beard – points off for that. He was well-dressed, in a form-fitting tux that enhanced his physique and gave him a sense of class which more than made up for the beard. And most of all, the guy's mere appearance and air just screamed _credits_.

Hopping off the barstool and abandoning her empty glass, Vanessa made her way to an area set aside for this specific purpose and slid into her seat in the booth. The man took his opposite with his back facing her. Good, he knew the rules. She didn't recognise him, so she deduced he must be from the Citadel.

"Your fancy?" she asked casually, readying her omni-tool. He pauses for a moment, thinking.

"Preferably human, someone into weird stuff, and loves the foreplay. I'm not a one-pump chump, I prefer to go at an easy pace."

"Hm," she said, grinning, typing up a message of notes for his specifications. Vanessa wondered a little at his accent; a little country-sounding to her ears. "'Weird', huh? Don't want to scare off any of the fresh girls, now do we? How about Ratakar, Krogan Maneater?"

To her delight, he took the bait and his back stiffened a little. "Umm, I'll do a lot, but a krogan called 'maneater' probably isn't the best..."

Stifling a guffaw of laughter, she gave him another once-over. There was a reason why she saw to these things personally – it wasn't strictly a question of whether the customer had the credits to walk his talk. She had turned down a few she had deemed unsatisfactory. They had bribed her, threatened her – but she either showed them the way out or gave them an uppercut that she made sure they would feel for days. An uppercut, because they were usually much taller than herself, like this one.

But he didn't have that mean look in his eye nor a hard tense to his body. He seemed a good man so she didn't think her fist would be needed today, but could she trust him with Eva? She paused momentarily, considering, weighing the decision in her mind. Vanessa's 'sixth sense', as she liked to call it, had been reliable in the past and it was prodding her now. She acted on it.

"Ohhh, Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire is for you." Vanessa trummed, sending the details over to Eva and shutting off her omni-tool.

"Price?" he cut straight to the chase. She smiled. She was actually starting to like this one.

"Eight thousand, one hour." she replied with the initial price.

The haggling continued for a sometime more before an agreement was reached. He gained even more brownie points when he demonstrated his knowledge in Bahasa. Directing him down the hall to Eva's waiting room, she chuckled.

Something told her that this would be Eva's luckiest day- er, night, in a pretty long while.

Vanessa thundered up the steps to Aria's lofty booth, uncaring of the looks thrown her way. Grizz took one look at her face and decided it was best not to try and stop her. Wise move. She made a path unimpeded all the way to Aria T'Loak herself.

"Aria." she addressed the asari lounging on the couch, surrounded by skimpy dancers and minions.

"My, my, V.V." came Aria's ever-sarcastic tone. "I would have thought it was krogan charging up my front door. You got a fucking fight to run off to or something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Ma'am." she added as an afterthought, standing ramrod straight and eyes never leaving Aria's face.

Aria changed position languidly, uncrossing her legs and recrossing them the other way. The powerful asari gives Vanessa a taunting smirk. "Ah, the geth attack on the Citadel. So you've heard."

"Only just. Ma'am."

"And so you want to race off like a damned hero in shining armour, or whatever it was you humans call that, to save the day."

The corner of Vanessa's mouth twitched in amusement as she resisted the urge to correct her. That could come later. "Not really, but I do believe I can help a little. I just need one of your shuttles."

Aria scoffed, bringing her arms forward to cross them in front of her chest and regard her employee and secret recon agent with a glare. "It's complete hell there. You'll probably be stopped from getting in or die trying. Not that I care how you throw away your life, but that would be pathetic."

Vanessa met the steady look with one of her own and said with a voice that held no doubt. "I'll find a way."

Aria gave her an appraising stare and for a stomach-clenching moment, thought she would be denied. Aria then spoke one word. "Go."

The pimp of Afterlife paused, meeting Aria's hard eyes, and nods her thanks before turning and disappearing down the steps as fast as she arrived. Though with much less thundering.

Ahz turned to Aria, who had relaxed into her couch once more. "You're letting her go?"

With a wave of her hand, Aria called one of the dancers to bring her drink. "Ahz, if there's anything you need to know about Vanessa, it's two things." she said, grabbing the proffered beverage and taking a swig. "One; she never breaks a promise she makes. And two," Aria looks down at the ice cubes clinking softly in her drink. "Though she's probably not aware of it herself, she's really an Alliance marine through and through."

* * *

A/N: Whew, I do believe that was the longest I have ever written! :D

First off – thank you for taking the time to read this fic! I've never participated in a collaboration of this size before and am quite happy to see it take off from the ground.

A few notes regarding my chapter; about the scratched Alliance dog tags, that's a reference to Naruto. A ninja who had betrayed his home-village would desert it and put a scratch through the village insignia on their forehead-protector. This marked them as a 'missing-nin' that had no allegiance to any village. Hence, Vanessa trying to show that she no longer was with the Alliance. But ironically still wears the tags.

Using the word 'chicken' to describe prostitutes – you will usually find this in Hong Kong, where the slang word for prostitute is chicken due to it's similarity in pronunciation to the word for the actual chicken. You can find this slang in Malaysia as well.

About the wrist injury – it probably sounds unrealistic for a broken wrist to end up that way, but it's a dramatized version to reflect my own wrist. It's not broken, but sprained and has been for as long as I can remember and is hence too old for anything to be done. It doesn't pain me, but the bone causing the skin to stick out is a bit strange-looking and I find I can't lift things as much with my left hand without feeling uncomfortable as opposed to my right.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and also hope you will stick with us on this project right to it's end!

Toodles!

- Kasumi


	6. Randall Jacobs 1: A Long Way to the Top

**Randall Jacobs 1: A Long Way to the Top**

**Written and submitted by Rockycombo**

A man looking about twenty years of age scales the steps leading up to the docking level of the hangar where his transport awaited him. He could hardly believe it; he was finally going to be leaving earth. All of the biased politics, biased schools, biased _everything_ were finally going to be left behind. He checked his overly large suitcase for the umpteenth time, making it look like he was making sure he had aligned his button down shirt correctly. The reason for the deception was made clear moments later, when a teary eyed woman, being supported by a lean, stone-faced man, came up the stairs right behind him.

"I can't believe you're going to _leave_," the woman wailed for what seemed like the thousandth time to the younger man, who turned around to face the couple. The woman reached out and ran a hand down the younger man's head, through his thick but cropped brown hair and along his thin, clean-shaven cheeks.

"Come on, mom," the boy scoffs in a mild baritone, taking her hand in his free one. "I already told you I'll come back to visit. And we can keep up with the extranet."

"I know, I just…I just…" the mother starts. She's unable to complete her sentence as she breaks out a fresh batch of tears, burying her face in the man next to her's shoulder.

"Now you be good off at school, Randall," the older man orders. "I don't want to hear of any parties. You know how that can affect your grades."

"Me, dad?" the son laughs with surprising incredulity. "You know I'm not like that."

"I just don't want to hear about it," the father makes perfectly clear, his hard gaze unfaltering.

"Yes, sir," the younger man returns, holding back an impulse to salute sarcastically.

"Good. That's all I needed to hear," the older says, his expression finally relaxing at an almost indistinguishable level.

The younger man looks over his shoulder, to the ship that's waiting for him. He notices people filtering on already, and he's not one to be late. "Well, I guess I better get going," he says as he turns back to his parents.

The mother is still sobbing uncontrollably, pulling her son into a massive bear hug instead of responding with words. He pats her back lovingly, waiting for her to release him. Eventually, the father pulls her off. "Now, now, don't want him to miss his ship," he says as gently as he can manage.

The younger man smiles sadly at his mother before turning slightly to face his father. "Thanks for everything, dad."

"It's been a pleasure, Randall. Now, off with you before your mother latches on again," he replies, a smirk playing on his lips. The son finally cracks a smile as he turns around, heading in a straight line for the transport. He turns when he reaches it, waving goodbye to his parents who haven't budged an inch. His father waves back strongly, and his mother tries to. And with that final farewell, he faces forward again and steps onto the elevator to the passenger deck.

As soon as he's there, he pulls his tucked shirt out of his pants and unbuttons three fourths of it, revealing a torn _Fleet and Flotilla _concert t-shirt underneath. He yanks off his dress shoes; rather standing in his socks in the questionable elevator for a short while than wear those abominations any longer. Probably not the best idea, since it was a transport to Omega, but who cared? He was going to get far worse later. He sighs happily as he lovingly dons a pair of vintage Converse he pulled out of his suitcase, costing almost as much as the rest of the contents inside, minus one specific item. The door to the elevator slides open to his destination just as he pulls them on, and he steps out eagerly.

"RJ!" a familiar salarian voice calls. The young man freezes, watching as the shoddily dressed amphibian-like alien approaches him. They come to be standing a mere foot apart, staring into each other's eyes emotionlessly.

"Jollin," RJ counters.

Suddenly, the salarian's lips split into a massive grin. "I can't believe you made it!" he shouts, pulling the human into an enthusiastic hug.

"Not sure if I believe it myself yet," RJ laughs as he returns the embrace with one arm. "Anybody else here yet?"

"Everybody is, we were just waiting on you," Jollin jokes, breaking out of the hug and starting to head further into the ship. "Come on."

"So, did you and Leeun finally hook up yet?" RJ asks in jest as he follows, dragging the suitcase behind him.

"Very funny," Jollin returns with a dramatic eye roll.

"Come on! I see the way you look at her. You should totally go for it!" RJ yells encouragingly.

"Would you shut your trap? We're almost there," Jollin barks, a massive grin when he looks over his shoulder contradicting his seriousness.

"I think I'll leave the trap shutting to you, mister drummer," RJ teases back. "I've still got harmonizing to do."

"Right now?" Jollin asks, his grin only growing.

"Do you know how long it's been since I got to play or sing?"

"Fair enough. You still have to tell us how you convinced your parents to let you move to Omega to play in a real band," Jollin reminds with a wink. "How's Bianca, by the way?"

"Extra dirty, just for tonight," RJ assures Jollin as the salarian chuckles and finally leads him off the main corridor and into a small side room.

Inside the room is a trio of people RJ recognizes instantly. Wrok, a burly krogan with a wicked sense of rhythm; Leeun, an asari with the richest voice he had ever heard; and Kacie, another human and their resident keyboardist. They all went silent at Jollin's voice. "Looks who finally showed up!"

The silence didn't last for long, though. "It's 'bout damn time!" Wrok bellows as he stands and lifts RJ off his feet and away from his suitcase in yet another hug. RJ is unable to get any words out inside the krogan's iron grip, and is left gasping for breath when the assault ends. That doesn't stop him from smiling at his large, dark red friend though, trying his best to laugh happily.

Leeun stands next, and she and RJ exchange a much gentler embrace. "It's good to see you, RJ," the pale blue asari greets.

"You too, Lee. Nice hat, by the way," he counters with a smile, complimenting her black beanie. "New look?"

"Mhmm. Jollin says he likes it," she whispers into his ear with a giggle. Leeun was still in her maiden stage, only being about fifty years old. It was a fact RJ had to constantly remind himself of; she talked and acted just like the rest of them. Wrok was still only thirty, barely out of his youth, exactly like the majority of the band. RJ casts a wink over at Jollin as the embrace ends, and the salarian rolls his eyes yet again.

Kacie stands with her hands behind her back a little ways away, looking much too timid for a girl with bright red hair down to the middle of her neck, ripped jean shorts, and a black Vaenia tank top on. Everyone goes quiet again as she and RJ make eye contact.

"Did you miss me?" she asks to break the silence, swinging her hips back and forth in the most adorable display RJ had ever seen.

He shines his fingernails on his button down, glancing at them as he answers. "Maybe a little."

"That's more than you missed Jollin though, right?" she asks, causing the salarian in question to groan quietly and dramatically.

RJ grins predatorily. "Way more."

Kacie matches his expression, her true nature finally coming out. "Then come over here, you bastard."

RJ happily obliges, crossing the short distance in two bounds and sticking his tongue in her mouth as he grabs at her rear. She squeals in surprise, giggling into his lips and gripping his neck as she brings her own tongue out to meet his.

Leeun starts her own giggle again as the kiss drags on, and Jollin and Wrok exchange looks before simultaneously pretending to gag. Neither RJ nor Kacie really notices though, having better things to focus on.

Kacie licks at her lips when the public display finally ends, and RJ laughs quietly. "I _did _miss you, babe," he coos into her ear.

"I know," she assures him, and immediately sticks her lower lip out in a dramatic pout. "Yo pawents can be sooo stwict."

Everyone in the room laughs, and they finally return to their original seats, with RJ taking Kacie's and she seating herself sideways in his lap. "I can't believe we're going to open for Expel 10!" Wrok exclaims excitedly, slamming his fists together. "This is going to be glorious!"

"I just hope we get there in time," Jollin counters. "This was literally the last ship we could catch, thanks to RJ."

RJ sticks his tongue out at the salarian, prompting the girls to giggle. "So how'd you get your parents to let you come?" Kacie asks, pushing RJ's tongue back into his mouth with her palm.

"Well, let's just say that, for some reason, they think I sold Bianca to afford my own apartment on the Citadel," RJ answers. His parents had insisted on him going to college somewhere on earth, so that he could commute and live from home. Dorms were out of the question, as the chances for goofing off were much too high according to them. But having his own apartment would have been fine, all he needed to do was hide Bianca from them for a few months until he could leave, actually only having bought a ticket to the Citadel to fool them, and a ticket to Omega he had kept with Bianca.

"But you didn't, right?" Leeun asks worriedly.

RJ laughs noisily. "Of course not! Wanna see her?"

Everyone except Kacie agrees immediately, who falls into the peer pressure with another pout. "I swear you give her more attention than me sometimes," she complains jokingly as she slides off RJ's lap so he can get to his suitcase.

"It's a different kind of attention," RJ says as he kneels down and unzips the suitcase. He casts a glance over his shoulder, and winks. "Most of the time."

Kacie tries to roll her eyes at him, but ends up grinning instead. He _was _good with his fingers. RJ chuckles as he turns back to the suitcase, starting to dig through the pile of clothes and other belongings. Finally, it reveals itself. Nestled between a blue hoodie and a sheet of bubble wrap is a dirty, gritty, solid white Gibson Firebird XX, dating all the way back to the 2110s. Leeun lets out a wolf whistle as RJ carefully pulls it out, making visible a barely intact name tag on the top tip with the name Bianca written in flowing letters.

"It's still hard to believe you won that in some contest," Jollin states with a shake of his head.

"It was meant to be," RJ jokes as he conjures up a pick with his omni tool and drags it down the strings lovingly, almost caressing them.

"That even sounds good out of tune," Leeun observes dreamily, sighing as she sinks into her seat.

Kacie breaks out into a laugh. "Why don't you embrace eternity or whatever with it if you love it that much, Lee?"

Leeun's cheeks grow a darker shade of blue as she blushes. "Shut up, Kay!"

RJ ignores the two girls as they start to argue, intent on tuning the first love of his life. He had won Bianca in a sweepstakes about five years involving some old band that was famous only on earth, which was his specialty after all. Out of thousands of song lyrics in their style, the judges had chosen RJ's. It was amazing really, and was the main reason he had wanted to start a band at all. He practiced like nothing else, even his grade, which had previously basically been the point of his existence, took a drop. It was only one year later that his parents insisted on sending him to private school, where he could 'develop better.' That was where he ended up meeting Kacie and Jollin, who were in similar situations as him. Jollin was an immigrant salarian whose parents made him go to earth almost exclusively for school, and Kacie was dubbed a trouble child at a very early age. They both loved music about as much as RJ though, and he convinced them to start a secret band.

After discovering their rather pathetic collective vocal range and their lack of a basis, they started seeking out other outside sources to join, which was the eventual introduction of Leeun and Wrok. Thus was the birth of the Dissenters. They made their first appearance all wearing ski masks, as to hide three member's identities from their parents, and were met with impressive reception on the extranet. That year went rather slowly though, only continuing to cover older songs and post them online about once a month, occasionally adding an original piece. The second year was even rougher, with cheap deals from producers mainly trying to take advantage of the younger band.

The third year, when RJ was eighteen, was the best of his life. That was when the same producer for Expel 10 contacted them, getting them some significant publicity and eventually setting them on the fast track for heading to Omega. It was also on his eighteenth birthday that he and Kacie finally got together, and he was surprisingly okay with having something of his lost as a gift. The past year had gone by in a blur, with the band all getting ready to all move to another planet, with some of them still having to hide that fact from their parents. But, RJ thought, now here he was. Moving to Omega to follow his dream with the best friends he could ask for, and a girlfriend that was even better.

Plus the fact that he had a wicked guitar. That fact continued to blind him to the rapidly escalating argument in front of him where both Leeun and Kacie were standing and in each other's faces, basically accusing each other of being jealous of something or other. Wrok was watching with a toothy grin, and Jollin looked much too scared to even try and stop their fighting. RJ finally stands, cradling Bianca with the intention to go sit and play her for a while.

What he failed to notice was Leeun pushing Kacie and sending her tumbling backwards, right into him. Bianca flew out of his hands, and everything but the guitar itself went utterly still and silent as the instrument flew through the air, impacting the seat with a sickening snap.

RJ only stands in place, staring down with wide eyes at Bianca, who now has a massive crack halfway through her body. Kacie gasps in terror and wraps her arms around RJ from behind, digging her mouth into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, baby. We got out of hand and we shouldn't have gone that far and-"

"Well fuck!" Wrok shouts, standing and cutting Kacie off. "Now what are we going to do? There's no way he can get another guitar in the time we have!"

Ignoring the krogan, RJ turns and wraps his arms around Kacie, who is still whispering apologies. "It's not your fault," he assures her as he desperately works not to have an outburst of his own. Having his arms around Kacie helps, and he feels himself start to calm down along with her.

"Like hell it's not!" Wrok yells as Leeun kneels down and crawls over to examine Bianca. Wrok points at Kacie accusingly, and RJ feels her start to shake again. "She ran into you!"

"Hey Wrok, lay off," Jollin chimes in, obviously trying to prevent any further conflict. "It was an accident."

Before Wrok has the chance to start arguing again, Leeun calls out to the group. "I think you could fix her," she informs them. "She still sounds alright; we just need to make sure the body doesn't fall apart."

"Do we have time for that?" Kacie asks hopefully as she continues to dangle off of RJ.

"I doubt it," Jollin answers. "Wrok was right about not having much time. He could still play her and get her fixed later, right?"

"I suppose," Leeun answers reluctantly. "It'd definitely be pushing her, though."

"Not like I have much of a choice," RJ reminds them, removing his girlfriend from his body and kneeling down next to Leeun. "I'll put her back in my suitcase until then. It'll be alright," he says, as much for his own benefit as his band's as he gently picks Bianca up and takes her back to her shelter.

The rest of the journey was fairly uneventful, which was probably good for RJ. The scare of Bianca being ruined started to fade, and after Wrok calmed down, the majority of the time was pleasant as a baseline. RJ hadn't seen his friends for quite some time, not having an excuse to see them after he told his parents he sold his guitar, so it was good just to be around them again, let alone catch up. It was when they arrived at Omega that tension grew between them all again, especially Wrok and Kacie. RJ was too worried about Bianca to really get worried about either of them, and disembarked the ship focusing on almost nothing besides keeping his suitcase as level and steady as possible. Despite the krogan's protests, Kacie helped him with that, for which he was later thankful.

"I'll make it up to you after the concert," she whispers for his ears only as they leave the docking area. "Promise."

"Well I won't say no to that," RJ counters with a wink, doing his best to turn his attention to Kacie instead of Bianca.

Luckily, there was even more to distract him. Their producer, Mike, was only a few paces away from where the group exited. "Ah, here come the Dissenters!" Mike shouts dramatically, taking off his unnecessary sunglasses that impeccably matched his solid black suit. "We got to get you guys ready! You're on in only a couple hours!"

"Good to finally meet you in person too, Mike," RJ laughs.

"No time for pleasantries, boyo," Mike replies rapidly as he turns and starts heading off along the main street which was surprisingly drab and dirty. RJ couldn't even imagine what the side alleys were like. "We're pushing the limit as is."

"That seems to be happening a lot lately," Jollin mumbles as the group follows after Mike.

"That's a bad thing?" Wrok counters, practically bouncing in his gait. "No other way to live!"

Jollin shakes his head in exasperation, and Leeun giggles at the boys. RJ just smirks back at them, still focusing mainly on making sure Bianca survives as long as possible and on making sure they don't lose Mike, who was going at a late New Yorker's pace. The next two hours went by at a similar pace as made it to the concert area, Mike walked them through the procedures and what they would be doing and gave them new clothes, and some assistants did their makeup and hair, which actually ended up making them look more gritty and ragged. That was the point in reality, but RJ still found it humorous.

"Takes a long time to look like you just woke up," RJ mutters to himself with a smirk as he grabs Bianca from the counter he had placed it on when the assistants took their baggage to the hotel rooms Mike had prearranged for them. He runs his finger along the crack cautiously. It was definitely bad; deeper and thicker than anything he had ever seen.

Still, Bianca sounded like her amazing self, so not all hope was lost. He hurriedly put on the strap and threw Bianca over his shoulder, joining the rest of the group near the edge of the stage as the MC shouted out to the crowd. "Are you ready to RAAAAAAAAAAAAWK?!" the man asks into his omni tool, and it amplifies across the entire crowd, who was cheering even before he yelled. The krogan bassist grins massively in anticipation, while everyone else gulps. This crowd was massive, bigger than anything they had ever done. And it was the first time they wouldn't be wearing masks; there was nothing any parents could do to them now. "I said…ARE YOU READY TO RAAAAAAAAAAAAWK?!"

The crowd explodes even more, which everybody else was convinced was impossible. Although it may have just been Wrok bellowing along with them right in their ears. "Then give a nice, cuddly, Omega welcome to our first band, opening for the extraordinary Expel 10, THE DISSENTERS!" the MC shouts pointing straight at RJ.

Who feels utterly numb as he jogs out onto stage with his band, taking in the full view of the crowd. He silently thanked God that he wasn't the front man, as there was no way he could have handled being in Leeun's shoes. "Hello, Omega!" she calls into her own physical microphone, and the crowd calms down quite a bit in anticipation. Leeun continues to stall for time as Jollin and Wrok get into position, since they would be starting the first song. "We are the Dissenters!"

RJ grins out at the crowd dopily, noticing a few laughs from the people in the front rows. Not that he cares all that much. "And we're here to blow your fucking heads off!"

The crowd erupts again, and Leeun looks over at RJ with a wink. He connects the amp he was provided for Bianca wirelessly, and slides up to and then holds a single screeching high note. A quick glance from Leeun to the boys in back, and it's clear the band is ready. "Here we go!"

_Three, _RJ begins in his head as Leeun turns back to the mic, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

_Two,_ he continues, casting a look of numb ecstasy over at Kacie, who's grinning from ear to ear back at him.

_One,_ he ends, and Jollin slams his sticks down onto the drum set right on cue. On the offbeat immediately following, Wrok starts the bass line. RJ completely forgets about Bianca's injury as he starts the intro to the first song, swinging his head down over his guitar. The groove comes naturally, almost instinctively as they plunge into the music. And along with Bianca, RJ quickly forgets about the crowd. They don't matter; the music is all that matters after being unable to play for months. Sure there are a few mistakes here and there, but nobody seems to notice. Or if they do, they don't care. The passion, the love, is all that's important. At least for their first appearance.

That vibe continues through the entirety of the concert, and is only further established near the end of their last song. RJ is so involved, so committed to his solo that was the finale, that he didn't even notice as Bianca's body snapped in two. Half of her dropped to the floor, narrowly missing impaling his foot, but that sure as hell didn't stop him. The crowd went eerily silent, even Wrok and Jollin stopped playing just to watch him see the piece through. RJ ends on a massive chord, finally looking up to the crowd. The silence feels like it could go on forever, that he could make eye contact with every single person there. Until they start screaming at him, that is. Mass hysteria practically emanates from the crowd, and clapping and cheering are all RJ can hear. Nobody cares that the end sounded off. It was way too fucking epic for that.

"Thank you!" RJ shouts impulsively into his own microphone that he had used for harmonizing earlier. Sweat pours from his head and arms, but he barely even notices. "Thank you! You all are _awesome_!"

The band exits and a much slower pace than when they entered, guy's fists raised in the air (with Bianca's broken body clenched in RJ's) and girls blowing kisses.

"That was incredible!" Wrok bellows when they're backstage again, shaking from adrenaline. "Just glorious!"

"It really was," Kacie whispers to RJ as she leans her head on his shoulder and hooks her arm around his. He had placed Bianca onto a nearby table and was looking down at her sorrowfully. "You were amazing."

"Thanks, babe," he mumbles, tilting his head to lean against hers. A small sigh escapes his lips. "I think it's how she would've wanted to go."

"How's that?"

A massive grin cracks RJ's lips. "Sending us off."


	7. T Gaiterus 1: Blades, Bling, and Broads

**A/N: And now its my turn! Just a few announcements for those who have made it this far (thank you for your readership and reviews), most character arcs will be 3 or 4 chapters in length. The first set takes place pre Me1, the second from the Battle of the Citadel till before Shepard's reawakening, the third during the events of ME2, and the final one during the Reaper invasion.**

**As I'm sure you've figured out by now, several characters have interlocking arcs. This was painstakingly planned and executed; we all worked very hard.**

**Lastly I'd like to invite YOU, dear reader, to join Aria's Afterlife, the NUMBER ONE Mass Effect forum here on fanfiction.**

**Enjoy!**

***Beep Beep Beep Bee-***

I slapped the alarm override. Damn the Citadel, and its 20 hour days... humans were meant to adjust to longer days, not shorter.

Groaning, I reluctantly rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up, running a hand over my short brown hair, seeking my clothes with squinted eyes.

_Why do I do this to myself,_ _waking up so early_...

_There. That's why_.

Softly moaning and turning over in her sleep was Jen, my love and my life.

_And quite the sappy romantic you sound. Good job, Tiberius._

But it was true. We had been together on Earth, and when I finally had enough from my storefront, working camps, delivering mattresses, cleaning aquariums, cleaning guns, sharpening blades, debugging omnitools- I leased a small kiosk space, an apartment, and got all the necessary permits to do business on the galactic hub. Reaching over gently, I brushed her flowing, curly brown hair back gently, rubbed her back slowly, then gave her a nice slap on the ass.

"What... the hell... Do you have morning stiffness you need worked on again?"

I laughed. _That's my Jen!_

"No honey. Just getting ready to leave for work. Gonna sell some good stuff today! If I can move some of this new line fast enough, we can take that vacation on Illium! Then we can do that thing we've been talking about." I raised a finger to forestall her response. " You _did _say everything was on the table, including on the table."

She looked up abruptly. "How about we trade that thing for those two other things?"

"I knew that would get your attention. Don't be late for morning classes!"

I got up, took a shower, trimmed my facial hair back down to 'epic merchant': Full sideburns, split beard, and handlebar mustache. Flexing my muscles for ego... _look at that body. Maybe Jen was right about the morning nightstick after all... _I checked my social networking feeds, market prices, shipping updates, inventory, and sales tax. _Damn the Council and their taxes. _

While auction, secondhand, distributed orders, and trades did not require a sales tax to be kept (well, outside of premiums at some establishments), outgoing sales needed to have sales tax collected.

Essentially, my money was taxed in an unending loop: Galactic tax for my personal pay as well as payroll to any employees (usually fired within a week), plus Alliance citizen federal tax. Then, the money my corporation received was taxed by the Citadel and the Alliance. Then Citadel payroll tax. Then I had to remit sales tax to the Citadel, as well as rent. Ostensibly, the rent payments went to the owner of the 'bazaar block', but really ended up in the hands of the Council's burser. Ah well.

With a long and hard goodbye kiss (Even after four years together, my tongue _still _gets sore after one of those) I left the apartment, and began the long and arduous commute to the kiosk a full hundred yards away. From the transport terminal in the commercial sector, that is- still an elevator ride and a tram ride away.

In the elevator this fine morning was a grumpy krogan (who I stayed _well _away from), some minor turian bureaucrat, a salarian, and a volus.

Opening my omnitool, I tried to catch the latest news, something about geth assaulting more colonies. Good thing I'm here on the Citadel, right? And to think that one decision a generation or two back could have meant being on Mindoir, or Eden Prime, or Elysium...

"Human. You're in my space." The krogan was growling, shoving his scarred visage in my face.

"Apologies, good sir. Say, that Eviscerator looks a little weathered. You wouldn't happen to need any mods, a cleaning service, a serial number filed off?"

The krogan's snarl turned to cautious interest. "You wouldn't happen to have any... toxic mods, would you?"

"Any particular species you are looking to eviscerate?"

The krogan looked thoughtful for a second. "I'm getting hired to storm a quarian ship that's apparently being stolen tomorrow."

My eyes widened, going in for the kill. "As it happens, I have some polonium blocks, a microflechette chip mod, and a jar of varren dung for you. That way, you get multiple suit ruptures, radiation infection, _and _you render the ship unclean."

The others in the elevator, leaning away when the krogan started rumbling, now turned to hear the conversation.

The krogan leased a belly laugh. "I like this human! _He _understands!"

The salarian approached me. "Uh, excuse me, I take it you're an arms dealer?"

Beaming with 'pink cat' warmth, I turned to face the salarian, my brown eyes steady on his twitching orbs. "Why yes indeed, sir. I take it you need something..." I scanned him quickly, casual attire, holobinder, low-grade omnitool... "...to protect the shop with? Or perhaps you need a personal carry weapon?"

Orbs blinking rapidly, he said, "Why yes, I need some less-than-lethal cryo rounds for my shop shotgun, and could use a blade or a concealed pistol."

"Well, follow me to my storefront then!"

Very rarely did I score so well _without even having set up shop._ That Salesmanship merit badge really was a Piaget for my life, it seemed...

"Heres your Eviscerator modkit... thank you! Have fun!" Now to deal with the salarian.

"Do you have a kiosk or storefront, many doors or one? General clientele?"

The salarian, still twitching, said, "Well, there is one hallway going into my stall..."

"Excellent! Here you are, this recoil pad and smart choke should do."

"...and my clientele are usually elcor. And volus. And vorcha. And turians. And humans... well, just about everything."

I raised an eyebrow. "What precisely do you sell or offer?"

Now it was his turn to beam. "I am one of the largest holozine outlets for Fornax on the Citadel! I have subscriptions available, whether you like the parent or any subsidiaries: GenitElcor, VorchTorch, Fringe Benefits, Drell Drillers, Fleet and Flotitties, Krogasm, Consexus, League of Buns- my personal favorite- Blue Rose, Holy Hegemony, ReaperCreepers, Jelly Jam, Volhole. Parnack Pleasures, just about all the Fornax subsidiaries, really."

"Huh. Well how about you set me up with an account, and I'll give you the mods and an omnitool upgrade in return."

The salarian beamed, sensing the awesomeness of the deal. "I'll get to it now! Thank you, Mr..."

"Tiberius Gaiterus. And you are welcome, Mr...?"

"Salun Tork."

"Ahh. How about we meet after closing over at Chora's? I'll bring my partner."

"Sounds great! See you then!"

The rest of the day went normally enough, lovesick people looking for jewelry in a grand romantic gesture sure to be spurned or met with pepper spray.

Just as I was about to finish lunch, a rough-looking group of individuals walked in- an asari, a human, a batarian, and a volus. They all looked to be adolescent in age, and clearly weren't there to debate steel grades.

The volus waddled up to the counter, obviously a decoy.

"hhhkkkt. Hello deuce stain shit-clan. Hhhhkkkt I was wondering if we could rob you. Hhhkkkt"

I couldn't help but laugh. The asari's hand glowed blue, but it was a very faint biotic trail that appeared. The batarian and the human pulled knives- _Chinese export quality- _and started advancing.

Still bubbling with mirth at the 'gang's plan, I brought up my omnitool, locking down the unit.

"If you're so desperate to die, why didn't you just hold up a C-sec outpost?" I hit a button, and a biotic dampening field jammed the asari's amp, sending a surge that knocked her unconscious.

"hhhkkkt NO! Not my Leany! Hhhkkkt Wax him! Hhhkkkt"

The batarian and human advanced, shoulders touching- _what absolute idiots- _looking grim but scared. Sighing, I pulled my Ontario Spec Plus machete knife, placed my left hand on the counter, and vaulted. I pivoted in-air, landing on my feet, back to the wannabes. Still riding the momentum of the landing, I rocked back on the ball of my right foot, swinging my hips get the extra view angle. My right arm extended with the knife, held with the bottom edge facing backwards relative to me. The front edge sliced across the faces of the punks, and my left arm followed with a secondary omniblade attack, slicing their weapons.

The human dropped his useless hilt and wet himself, cowering on the floor. The batarian just stood there, dumbstruck. Eventually, she gathered up the soiled human and the asari, and left without a word with the volus stuttering at her lack of initiative.

And thus was my boring life.

Opening the unit and leaving a tip to C-Sec, I resumed my fried spam and purple _gorshna _fruit, enjoying the flavor clash. A thick spicy sauce, loaded with fresh _shiim _from Kahje and Anaheim pepper extract- the combination was a staple for any drell/human fusion cuisine- dripped over the succulent squares of canned, greasy meat. I bit into the treat, nearly orgasming at the delightful culinary bouquet and my reflection from the counter mirror combined, the grease runnels flowing into my beard, becoming a sexy cologne that would guarantee head tonight. The meat, bread and sauce were processed greedily in my mouth, merging to... Do I really want to think about this?

No matter, in comes a customer.

Oh sure, you need a full blade service? That'll be 15 credits good sir. May I suggest browsing while you wait?

I took his machete to the grinder. I didn't use vise grips on my wheel, I used skill born of years of experience. Twenty degree angle, a simple concave grind. The convex and double-lip bench grinds were much harder to replicate...

I started with the wire buff, flipping the switch on the ancient Westinghouse motor. Solenoids now powered turned the crankshaft, spinning the wheel at a full 350 rpm.

With a deep concentration, the machete's steel approached the buff. Halting so the outer rust and grime layer would be removed-but not the outer chromium oxide layer- I worked the blade so it became smooth as an asari matriarch's meld. Switching to my coarse aluminum oxide wheel, I moved the steel- _AUS-6M by the sound of it, weird grade for a machete_-back into cutting order. Moving to my fine titanium silicate wheel, I repeated the process, adding just a minute fraction of a degree to the twenty, honing the edge and shaving off enough to make the very edge as keen as possible.

Satisfied with the patina, I pulled out a microfiber rag and a bottle of industrial silicon metal lubricant. (Turns out ironwood is not a metal it's good for...) and rubbed in the liquid to protect the exposed ferrous metal, allowing it to be protected until the chromium could oxidize on the cut surface.

Choosing a red rouge gentle buff, I replaced wheels again with the cloth, ran it, and applied the material. Running the wheel over the machete, the chromium accepted the grease and shone as a sword from a fairy tale.

One blade done and a line of people with similar needs have stacked up.

Dammit, if the little bastards that I tried hiring were any good, I'd have them running the counter while I handled the delicate stuff. But they always went for the iridium, sterling, platinum… and generally got gunned down fairly quickly. My shop Mossberg and Raven make a mean team in that regard.

Next, a few long hours of answering and servicing hormone-ridden pimply incurable romantics, frankly creepy knife enthusiasts, and the local krogan BDSM club… nothing outrageously weird.

Why yes, this will match that hair color, no you can't go less than 35, I've slashed to 17% below retail already! Yes that steel can go through krogan, yes that one will break off inside a krogan… Oh that's why you want it… Here, how about a mod? Why yes I carry smart chokes, recoil dampers. Here's an iron sight, you hardcore retro shooter.

Finally closing shop, locking all the cases, securing all equipment and wiping down all counters, I activated the alarms and sauntered off. Time for that business meeting at Choras…

I met Jen at the markets alley and we had a dirty quickie behind a Tupari machine; I'm pretty sure at least three people used it while we were using each other, (one with small children) but we were sated for the moment. I think we used a punk kicking the machine to cover the climactic finish, but I honestly don't remember.

Entering arm-in-arm to the club, I nodded off the bouncer and he cleared the drunk turians from my customary table. I serviced his weapons and furnished the female workers with protection, I got drinks and a perpetual booth. I ordered a beer and a shot for us both, then sat cuddled waiting for the salarian.

Sure enough, just as the heady bass beat, the drinks, and Jen's warmth were causing me to drift into a peaceful state, Salun Tork walked in.

Jen looked up, her nose trailing through my beard for a moment. I signaled the bouncer to direct the salarian my way.

"Mmmm… did my man have some Spam today?" Jen had trailed a teasing finger from my forehead to my belly and was making rude motions in front of my belt.

"Damn right I did. Giving you any ideas?" I smirked. Laughing, she looked into my eyes and slid down the table, and began going to work, slaking her taste for potted meat with my man meat. Salarian business customs did not warrant a handshake and all parties rising, not when negotiating, so I was vacuumed in peace as the mag magnate slid into the booth across from me.

"What's your pleasure, Tork?" As I had already fulfilled my end of the deal, I could address him by either name and it would be polite.

"Orbvolt Red, extra _gingnam rubol_."

The drink was carried over almost immediately by a barmaid, and we began business.

"So, Mr. Gaiterus. Have you held Fornax accounts before?"

"YESSS! Ahem, I did hold accounts with Fornax and subsidiaries back on Earth but I needed to cancel the account because of the TEETH, BABY! Erm, cost of shipping from my old supplier."

"Yes, yes, understandable. I can get you a low-rate mid-volume option with stock and delivery insurance, all versions, plus a display rack that can be used blatantly or discreetly."

"YEEEEESSSS! Ahm, sounds great to me. You have the paperwork necessary?"

"Transmitting files now to your omnitool."

"Oh, how I love PAPERWOOOOOOOOOORK!" I couldn't help but scream the last word as insane suction was placed on my man root, and the results were efficiently taken care of.

Jen slid back up and started giving me a long and deep kiss, while poor Tork just sort of looked on…

"Salun Tork, Jen; Jen, Salun Tork."

The salarian nodded tersely, his drink obviously wreaking havoc with his short-term processing.

I filled out the forms and sent them back. "Excellent. You should have the first delivery by next Wednesday. Oh, also; received urgent call. Small clinic on Omega needs rush order scalpels, and has the funds to pay for such and order. Here is the contact information, do with it what you will."

I thanked the salarian and we went off to our apartment.

I opened my spare business comm terminal, and opened the channel.

"Solus Walk-in Clinic, How may I direct your call?" A homely turian female answered the hail.

"Ah, I'm Tiberius Gaiterus with Gaither Blade and Bling? I received an urgent message to contact a Dylan Owens."

"One moment please."

After a few moments a fresh-faced lad in scrubs appeared. "Hello?"

I cleared my throat. "Ah, yes, Tiberius Gaiterus with Gaither Blade and Bling? I've got contact information for a Dylan Owens about a scalpel order?"

"Ah, finally. Can't believe we've managed to run , yeah I'm gonna need 'em. As quick as you can get 'em out here."

"Quick, eh?" I turned my right eye towards the screen more, letting a smirk play on my face. "DO you need organic delivery or a secured drop-off?" I asked this already knowing the answer, on Omega there was hardly such thing as organic delivery.

"Yeah, we need a secure drop-off. And trust me, you're gonna want some guards. I don't even wanna think about why the mercs love stealing scalpels so much."

"Unfortunately, I _do _know." I offer a laugh without much mirth. "And its not for the glory of Hippocrates, either. Will the drop-off be at a dead drop or a specific location?"

"If you can get them to the clinic here…" the assistant uploaded a marked area map, "that'd be great. We don't exactly have the manpower to pick them up from somewhere."

I furrowed my brow slightly to increase negotiation tension. "I see… looks like I may need to pay off at least one gang to get to you. It's gonna cost, unfortunately. I can do it, but you're looking at 8 nonnegotiable in security and four for the product, containing 15 thousand units."

"So 12 total?" The assistant apparently received a cue from offscreen to continue. "How about 10 with the promise of any future business?"

Stroking my beard, I pretended to consider the offer. Already I was making good, and staying within this small clinic's means. Now just to make it appear…

"Ten with promise sounds good. As a gesture of goodwill I'll add n surgical-grade sharpeners, blade sealant, and a UV sterilizer for sharps."

The young man beamed, "Perfect. So when can we expect the shipment?"

Digging out my schedule chip and inserting it into my omnitool, I checked my shipping company's times. "As it so happens, I can have the product and my…" I coughed lightly to cover any strange inflection, "Security team ready to go by tonight, by civilian transport should only take maybe three days."

"Sweet. We will be waiting anxiously!"

"I'll just need you to fill out a few forms and forward your account information…"

"Ok! Forwarding banking and delivery information now."

The line went dead after both sides confirmed transferal of funds and receipt of information, our business concluded.

Sighing, I took my clothes off and began packing for the trip, light tactical gear and spare mods, my extra guns, all sorts of nonmetal blades.

"Where you gonna be headed, baby?" Jen's soft voice met my ear as she wrapped her arms around my neck from behind.

"Omega, honey. Gotta deliver that crate of surgical stuff I picked up for a song."

I could hear the brow furrow as she gently kissed my neck. "Be sure to have all your protection and follow our rules, love."

"Oh, I _will_." I turned and met her embrace, consummating our love on top of a loaded shotgun.

As the transport docked, I put on my mercenary airs, and prepared to take the crate out into the slums. I hired a Blood Pack vorcha to take me through their territory unharmed, only having to raise my shotgun once or twice.

As I reached the doors, the barrel of a Carnifex met me, and a salarian in a white lab coat stood behind it. A deep sniff. "Human, quite well armed, but escorted by Blood Pack. Strange, encroaching on Blue Suns. Not sick, does not seek aid, posture tense but nonthreatening. Could change anytime. Would have to shoot."

"Ah, excuse me, I'm supposed to deliver these to a Dr. Mordin Solus? Tiberius Gaiterus, Gaither Blade and Bling."

"Ahh, apologies. Thank you for time and effort, must see to patients, no time for pleasantries. Had to leave an open heart surgery to receive shipment. Goodbye!" Two LOKI model mechs stepped forward to receive the crate, and my end was done.

I turned to the vorcha, "Blue Suns territory? Get us the hell outta here!"

"Rrrrrrraaawwwwwwrrrr! Human safe, must go now."

Hurriedly, I left the area, and back to the main corridors of Omega.

_Ahh, theres Afterlife._ I was bumped into suddenly, a young rocker and his flame-haired woman collided with me, obviously paying a bit more attention to each other than their surroundings.

"Forgive me!" I said before they controlled the tone. "I didn't see you coming. I'm Tiberius Gaiterus, pleased to meet you…?"

"Ahh, I'm RJ and this is Kacie."

"A pleasure. Say, Kacie, how would you like a sterling bracelet? I happen to have one with jade, actually. Sets off your hair…" I gave them a once-over, "And I'm sure it would draw more attention to you onstage!" I produced the item. "What about it, RJ? Its only 25 credits, and if there is any fault, there is a list of jewelers on the back of this card who will correct it at my expense."

"Ahh, well…"

"Please, RJ? The man obviously knows what he's talking about? And its so pretty!"

"Yeah, sure, man. Here ya go." A flick with fingers meant to strum the guitar sent a chit my way, which I plucked out of the air and hid in my tac vest.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know how to get in on the fun in there, would you?

RJ thought a bit, then responded, "You might want to talk to my krogan buddy for that. Hey, Wrok!"

A well-built krogan, obviously young but capable, sauntered over.

"What do you need, RJ? The krogan turned his beady eyes on me. "This human causing problems?"

"Oh, Wrok, no! He just needs some… direction." Kacie spoke up, still admiring the bracelet on her wrist and turning it to catch the light.

"He was wondering about the… baser entertainment. I gotta go. Thanks for the bracelet, man!"

The krogan looked at me. "Hehehe. You shoulda seen his sick drum rhythm I was just laying on this girl. Came up with a whole improv… Anyway, what do you need to know?"

"Just who do I need to go through for _access_."

"Well, generally if you can flash the dough you get in quick when its Merle running door. Just dress up nice. Vanessa Valentine's the one to see, just lookout for this chick," He produced a photo, "and clink triplets in your pocket."

"Thank you kindly!"

The krogan rumbled again with mirth. "Have fun. And if you get the same one that just gave me the most amazing head… I'm sorry in advance."

I headed for the nearest public restroom to switch out my tac gear for my tux. Time to have a little bit of fun.

The pounding of the bass and the keen of the soprano club music tugging at my very soul, I sauntered through the bar. Even in my tuxedo, I was an imposing figure, and I had more than enough non-metal blades and implements should anyone decide to get physical.

I made sure only to frequent the bar corners with human patrons; would hate to have a gut-liquefying toxin end my awesomeness now. Soon, the drinks allowed my other, baser instincts to cry out for attention. Jen was damn good, but she was on the Citadel right now. Besides, she gave me permission... _No diseases, and record the show, ok baby? _Who would have thought I'd be so fortunate to have her as a partner?

Snapping back to reality, I scanned for the recommended pimp...

There. Ex-Alliance military from my tip, biotic with excellent hand-to-hand reputation... So I figured it would be wisest not to haggle _too _much. I strode past, then made the signal, clinking credit chits a certain way in my pocket. Sure enough, her noted sharp hearing picked up the signal and she fell into step behind me.

Steering towards the 'business booth', I took a seat, facing away from the pimp by design.

"Your fancy?" An accent- _certainly Chinese origin, but with the eclectic tang of Malaysian-_ met me. I considered my request for a few seconds.

"Preferably human, someone into weird stuff, and loves the foreplay. I'm not a one-pump chump, I prefer to go at an easy pace."

"Weird, huh? Don't wanna scare off any of the fresh girls, now do we. How about Ratakar, Krogan maneater?"

"Umm, I'll do a lot, but a krogan called 'maneater' probably isn't the best..."

"Ohhh, Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire is for you."

"Price?" I asked bluntly, hoping to gain an upper edge.

"8 thousand, one hour." The immediate reply.

"4 thousand, full session, and I'll treat her as a true lady."

"6 thousand and you'll do that anyway."

"Five four. And she will be happy for days".

"Hm. Tall order, big guy." Suddenly a hand was on my crotch, clinically appraising. "Well, I suppose if you've got skill to match the spear..."

I grinned. "No worries, _comel. _It is as if I have already sampled her _nasi kangkang."_

I could hear the pimps' shock in the rustle of clothes. "Well, you _are_ into the weird stuff."

"Salesman habit, analyzing then pink catting. So where is this extraordinary lady?"

"Down the hall, third room on the left. Have fun, but not _too _much fun. I still need my cathouse intact." A hidden door opened, revealing the hallway. I held up my credit chit, which got scanned quickly, then headed to my destination.

As I opened the door, classical music was playing, and the room was softly lit. _Fancy. Must have done a speed search on my preferences. _I looked around, and my eyes fell upon one of the most beautiful women I had ever met, sitting on the edge of the bed.

A cascade of golden hair sat on her shoulders, a tight red dress complimented her curves, hugging her breasts, belly, and buttocks. Eyes- _green? Hard to pinpoint with this light-_ met mine, holding a false light, sadness- but also determination and hope. My analysis was that she voluntarily chose this path temporarily, possibly to further herself in a pursuit or another.

I stood straight up, not really caring that my dress pants were stretched forward. A significant amount. "Hello, milady. I am Tiberius Gaiterus, proprietor of a knife and jewelry exchange. You must be the beauteous Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire?"

Nervously, she blushed and looked away slightly, crossing her legs and drawing herself in. "Why yes, yes I am. I'm assuming you're here for my services?"

"I am indeed, but let's not rush things, shall we?" I gave a reassuring smile, then moved to sit next to her. I shed my jacket vest and button down, leaving my undershirt and dress pants. Making an expression as if I had just remembered something, I reached into my discarded vest and pulled out a small plastic baggie. I pulled out two 24 carat gold earrings, with dangling topaz droplets on sterling, the vertices of the facets implanted with diamond.

Seeing her eyes widen, I reached over gently and placed them in her ears.

"Bowie kept most of the old Texan customs, including state gem. It's just plain luck I had topaz teardrops; so fitting since I'm guessing you're using this line of work as a jumping-off point." I reached over and held one of her hands in my lap, and put my other on her right cheek, turning her head towards me. "Tell me then, about you." I focused my eyes intently on hers, listening to her tale, squeezing her hand, stroking her arm, wiping a tear whenever it was warranted.

"I… I'm not entirely sure where to begin, I… well... "

"How did a sweet woman like you end up here on Omega? Don't you have a family?"

"Family? Hah!" A bitter laugh, from the very depths of her soul, bubbled up, marring her form with the emotional release. "An ex-husband who decided to knock up another woman while on a mission, six brothers who only wanted to drag me down? That's no family. That's liability." Her lips started quivering in earnest. "I left Bowie with my savings, figured I'd start a new life here; this was as far as I could get. I came to Afterlife, I mean, it has the reputation. I was hoping to get a job as a dancer, something I could pour my heart and soul into, something I could escape to, if even for a few minutes. That's what kept me going before, the cathartic release, the slipping into a whole new state of mind, of consciousness. But instead, I was tricked into… into…" the last bits of composure dropped from her angelic face, hot tears spilled from her hardened eyes, tears she had thought had been expunged fully at least a few months ago. Raw sobs consumed her, burning up the bitterness. "I don't… I don't even know why I'm telling you this… you're just a John, you should be fucking me, not listening and… and…"

I merely kept hold of her hand, and brushed her cheek tenderly.

When she was done, she looked up through her bangs, finally meeting my eyes fully. "So now we're...?"

In answer I locked my lips to hers, and allowed my tongue to reach out and explore her mouth. Judging by the minty fresh taste, she had thankfully washed, which I suddenly realized was spearmint, probably because she had just given a krogan head.

My tongue's retreat must have signaled to her to begin explorations of her own though, but I patiently waited it out, trying not to think about the potential Horde swimming in vain...

Mouths parted, I stopped her hands from their quick dive to her hem, and instead lifted her arms sensually up, then trailed my chin down her front, gripped the hem between my teeth and started back up. _Wait... when was the last time this has been washed and what is that stain I just... stop thinking..._

I placed my hands on her calves, then trailed them up as I dragged the dress up, delaying seeing her unwrapped for just a little bit longer. I gently pushed her back, and tossed the crimson piece to the side.

A loud clamor...

"Frack! What the hell..." I exclaimed, jumping in shock.

Apparently I had blind-tossed the dress into a candelabra... _a REAL candelabra..._ and started a minor fire.

"Quick! Massage my prostate!" I unzipped and aimed my unit towards the fire. I looked over my shoulder at the shocked woman, and laughed, showing I wasn't serious. Well, not completely unserious.

"Seriously though, where's the fir-"

Suddenly controlled gas bursts put out the fire and silence reigned. "Oh. Ok." Was all I could lamely say.

"Here, let me get you out of the rest of that..." Deft fingers removed my undershirt, trousers, and opossum skin banana hammock.

Soon I was fully exposed, and she merely had a black lacy bra and black French ribbon thong covering her.

I returned to the bed, held her in an embrace, hands creeping up her back, feeling the shakes of trepidation, unnatural, unlike the shivers of arousal. Slowing a bit, I whispered into her ear and stroked the back of her neck: "You have nothing to fear from me, I'm not going to do anything to hurt you." I paused . "Well, unless that's what generates your mass effect core."

A soft laugh escaped her, sweet sounding as the rustle of wind through cornfields. But without the weevils- weevils don't make cornfields peaceful and dreamy.

I flicked the ribbon undone and watched hungrily as she slowly let the top fall, allowing perfectly tanned globes to swing free, pink areolas already pebbling in anticipation. Adoringly, I let my hands roam the hills and valleys, hardening nipples in their wake. I lowered my mouth to one, licking and suckling on the offering, eliciting a moan. I repeated the ritual on the other, then ran my hands downward to the tiesides, deftly unknotting the gossamer article.

A well-trained hand explored her soft sex, seeking to unleash the torrent of Aphrodite .

First the bundle of nerves was allowed to peek out, then encircled and grazed obliquely. Sweet, precious minutes later, a finger, slicked by Venus' river, entered the passage and sought the raspberry pleasure patch. Providing constant pressure, I started nipping and licking Eva's neck, feeling her pulse quicken by the second.

Seeing her flushed and taught, feeling the fluids of readiness, I breathed, "So this 'cueboning' title- that wouldn't happen to be the same cueboning technique from Fringe Benefits?"

"Oh yes it is! Here's a cuebone for you." Putting a finger in her mouth then trailing it down my chest, she took a firm hold of my iron, then stooped forward, 36 DD breasts hovering by the tip. Smoothly, she used my member to strike the hardened nipples, the sensations novel and erotic.

Then, she took it one step farther, slapping southward to softly strike my suspended scrotum, hard enough to feel a twinge, but soft enough not to cause damage.

Groaning at the precise skill and care she was showing, I was forced to halt her so I wouldn't end the session early.

"Any other crazy requests?" There was an animalistic glint in her eyes now- she was actually enjoying the session.

I flopped my arm back and found my jacket. I reached into another pocket and withdrew an obsidian blade, edge microns thick. Smartly twirling and flipping it in my hand, I presented it handle-first to Eva.

"Up for it? First layer only."

Her answering smile devilish, she responded, "My, but you _are _different."

Laying back, I smirked in kind. "So far you've... Ohhh yes..."

Gently, the blade was placed on my chest, edge angled to the skin, tracing patterns simple and complex over the skin. Quick-cooled glass possessing one of the keenest edges known to the galaxy, any sudden bump or misjudgment would result in a painful wound.

Suddenly the cool material was grazing sensitive patches on my torso, and I had to fight to keep from arching my back and wriggling in pleasure. The lava chunk flowed downward in a lazy zig-zag, finally turning so the tip only traversed the fleshy areas of below.

I nodded my approval at her work, assenting to the quality of the performance.

Still holding the blade, she looked uncertain for about a split second, before I gave an expression of reassurance.

She used a particular wrist-flick to send the knife spinning into the far wall, out of the way so as not to turn our fun into snuff. All true Bowie colonists knew how to work blades.

"How did I..." her voice testing...

As a response, I levered up and took hold of her shoulders, planting a deep kiss on her heated lips.

Gently, I rolled to be in the dominant, and ran the back of my fingers down her tanned body.

I stayed that way a full minute, rebuilding her own arousal, then gently contacted my swollen tip to her hot, moist, and very ready core, moving delicately so as not to evoke any unpleasant psychological reactions.

When she finally parted her legs enough, I began the ancient dance, and in that dance, time stood still, cares were washed away, and only two beings mattered.

Soon I could sense her readiness, as her noises increased in intensity, her eyes closed tight and hands gripped sheets. I was careful to caress her triggers, and suddenly a tightening and intense screaming announced her peak.

Riding the wave, I barely managed to keep my own in check, reducing my movements to stay on the brink. Stroking behind her knees, I extended her own reaction, from the 'natural' 20 seconds to a full 40 seconds. As hers subsided, I gently withdrew, and she lured me past the precipice's edge, I tumbled down the gorge of bliss.

When we recovered, I put a hand on her shoulder and grabbed a fresh dress from the small drawer underneath the bed.

"How close are you to getting off Omega?"

At her blush, I snerked and rephrased. "I don't mean how many sentients have patronized you... How much do you have left before you can blow off... er, _quit_ your pimp?"

Still cherry red in the face and looking down and away, she sighed, "I'm still three thousand away. I only ever actually get maybe a hundred dollars or so a trick, but I generally go around after gang wars and look through pockets for loose change."

Dressing and retrieving my items, I reached into a hidden pocket and produced the security payment I had received for door-delivering the scalpels to the clinic.

"Here's eight and a business card. Get yourself some clothes, a doctor, a weapon, and some decent food, then get your tight ass off this shithole."

Eyes watering she eyed the offering, unsure what to think.

"Go on, take it. I was planning to gamble on it, but its obvious you are a more worthy recipient."

Taking the gift, she jumped around me and held tight, tears hot on my shoulder. "Thank you thank you I don't know how I can what I can why did you..."

"Another cuebone would be great, but I think I'd just end up feeling terrible for it. So good luck and remember: _Fortes fortuna adiuvat._"

I left down the 'flush', checking the camera to be sure I had recorded everything for Jen. _Yup, she's gonna love this one..._

I really did hope that Eva was able to strike out on her own, she seemed a very sweet and driven woman.

Musing the complexities of life, I ventured back to the spaceport.

Time to get back to life as usual.

A news feed was playing about a nuclear blast on some planet or other. Vormeer or Virmy or somesuch. I snorted at the story. That's the Alliance for you, they'll ask for the bazooka for the cockroach then make do with a squirtgun, unless there was a loophole for WMDs.

Settling back into my seat, I prepared for the trip back to the Citadel.


	8. Eva Harper 1: Hoes and Tricks

**Eva Harper 1: Hoes and Tricks**

**Written and submitted by bronzedamazon**

**A/N: This is the last in this period of time. New characters may show up, but they will still be marked '2'. PLEASE REVIEW! These authors spent a lot of time on these and could use feedback!**

**Edited: placeholders**

"You're a colony kid, get over it Eva. This is where you belong." Eva was again being scolded for her dream like state of existence, the same state that she had been floundering in for the past two months. "You aren't getting off this rock, it's our home and where you will be until the day you die." Her brother walked out of her room to continue getting ready for his day of work, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Eva sat on the foot of her bed for another moment, letting the scene play out again in her mind before she reacted.

"I'm getting out of here if it is the last thing that I ever do!" She called after her brother, standing as she moved to lock her door. "Damn you for saying otherwise you jerk!" Eva threw herself onto her bed face down, letting her long blonde hair fall in her eyes and drape over her shoulders. She laid there for a moment, trying to keep the tears from falling from her green eyes and running down her face. She rolled over to face the ceiling as her mind wondered aimlessly, trying to give her comfort from the words that had cut her life a knife. She was never going to be anything but a colony kid.

Eva reviewed the facts of her life as she counted her fingers, "I'm 23, divorced, unfinished engineering degree, stuck here in a house with four brothers because I couldn't make it on my own and had to come back to this flippin' hell…" She let her thoughts trail off as she continued her little shame spiral that would do nothing but further depress her. She grabbed her data pad that was at the foot of her bed and pulled up her bank information. Eva looked at the miniscule number and sighed. Every credit she could possibly save for the past year had been placed into the account, and she had enough to leave the colony but it would put her at Omega.

"Eva! Get your ass out here!" Her brother yelled from the other room, "We have work to do today and you're just wasting time. You know what happens when you're late." Eva curled her lip in disgust.

"Go without me, I have crap to do!" She answered back as she sat up, " Just tell them I don't feel good and I'm staying home." She listened for some smart crack from him for a moment, but was met with a door closing and silence. Eva had decided right there that she'd had enough. She knew it was Omega but anything was better than here, regardless of the horror stories she had heard of the place. Eva looked around her room for a bag she could throw a few things into as she changed. She had made up her mind that she was leaving and there was nothing that was going to stop her.

The number zero glowed at her from the bank kiosk at the transport terminal. She had purchased her ticket off the planet that she had been stuck on for 23 years. Eva smiles for a moment before closing the console and walking away. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder as she went to docking bay A-17. The ship was glorious as it sat glistening in the sun. She peered at it in awe as the other passengers passed her by without a second look.

"How flipping awesome," Eva whispered under her breath as she moved towards the ship, "it's like this was all supposed to…" A man in an Alliance uniform bowled her over and sent her falling to the ground cursing under her breath.

"Damn it lady, you are in the… Eva?" The soldier looked at her as he stood up, "What the hell are you doing at the transit station?"

"Fantastic seeing you as well Aldon, I didn't know that you would still be running all over me after the divorce was final." Eva stood up and glared at her ex-husband. Nothing about him was any different that the last time she had laid eyes on him in front of a judge. He was still stunningly handsome, he even still had the same sweet smile and childlike innocence in his eyes that had pulled her in when she was sixteen.

"I didn't mean to run into you. You were standing there like an idiot in the middle of the damn walkway. What are you doing here?" Aldon offered his hand to her to get back on her own two feet.

"Leaving, you know all about that part of life right? I mean what was it, two years ago you left and knocked up some girl on a mission?" Eva looked at his deep brown eyes as she stood on her own, ignoring his outreached hand.

"Leaving? You're finally doing what you always said you would hunh?" He brushed his fingers through his brown hair as he looked at her with a smile on his face. Eva could feel herself reaching back for those memories of when those where her fingers in his hair, when that smile was only for her. She snapped herself back to reality before she had a chance to let her exterior façade of toughness fail.

"Yea, no thanks to you or anyone else in this flipping galaxy. Now run along home to your wife and child, I don't have anything else to say to you." Eva started to walk away as Aldon grabbed her wrist gently, causing her to look back at him.

"I'm sorry you know, sorry that it happened the way it did." He looked at Eva with a true apology on his face, "It never should have came to all of this you know?" Aldon smiled as tears began to well in her eyes.

"Yea, well it happened. You got your happy ending and I got nothing… Death do us part my lily white ass." Eva pulled her hand away from him, "Go take care of that whore you knocked up and the child she had. That's your only purpose in life right?" She walked to the entrance of the docking bay without looking back at Aldon, walking until she saw a woman who appeared to be logging people into the ship's manifest.

"Can I have your name please?" The middle aged woman asked with a voice like silk. She looked Eva up and down, taking notice of the emotions on her face but saying nothing.

"Eva, Eva Harper." She flashed her smile and tilted her head to the side as the ignored the pain in her chest from seeing Aldon.

"Yes ma'am, I'll log you in for security purposes. Please take your seat on the ship and we will prepare for takeoff shortly." Eva smiles as she bounces her way through the ship, trying to forget about the encounter she just had with her ex. She located her seat near the back and began to fasten herself in as they began to secure for departure. Her thoughts were full of excitement and hope for a new life that would be greater than anything she could have asked for living on colony world.

"Time for a real adventure, for a life that's not predestined to have so much suck." The moment that the transport left the atmosphere Eva was elated, she had done what she had always been told was impossible.

Eva looked down at her feet as she took her first steps off the transport and onto Omega. She smiled for just a moment until the smell and feel of the air took over her senses. She looked forward as she started walking towards the bright lights that were calling to her, lying to her about the hope that the place held for her future. Eva had never taken much stock in the stories about Omega being a place for degenerates and people down on their luck, but seeing the conditions of the station so far, it was a little harder for her to ignore.

She reached the bright lights of _Afterlife_, the club that was notorious for its clientele and owner alike. Eva took a deep breath, the only thing that she had really done in her life at home was dance. She was hoping that it would be enough to get her a job so she could continue her travels and work her way off Omega. She nodded her head in affirmation that she could handle anything that was thrown in front of her as she walked up to the elcor bouncer.

"I should be a dancer at Afterlife." Eva blurted out as she smiles, "I need a job, so tell me who I speak to."

"With irritation, I am not in charge of personnel decisions of that nature. You will need to speak with Almara. She can assist you in those matters."

"I can do that, she inside?" Eva adjusts her bag on her shoulder as she gestures towards the door to the right of her."

"Without care, yes. She will speak with you about possible positions." She barely waited for the elcor to finish before she was through the door and walking down the hallway of fire. Eva smiles at the batarian patrons as she makes her way to the turian bartender standing in front of her.

"My, you're a cutie. What can I do for you human?" The turian leaned on the bar as Eva smiles.

"Looking for Almara about a job as a dancer. I was told she was in here somewhere." She yells over the music.

"Oh yea, you'd fit right in here." He flexes his mandibles as he looks Eva over. "She's sitting over there on the left." The bartender points to an asari, "That'd be the person you're looking for."

"Thanks." Eva says as she hurries her way over to the table where the asari was sitting. The woman sticks her hand out as if telling her to stop before she could get a word out about whom she was or what she wanted.

"Oh good, you do understand how to listen." The asari looks at her, "What do you want?"

"I was told to see you about a job. I was a dancer at home." Eva smiles at her "I think I could really help with getting you some new business."

"I see. Turn around." Almara looks Eva up and down, "You might be something I can work with. How old are you human?"

"23." Eva answers with excitement in her voice.

"And what brought you to Omega. It's obvious you aren't from here." The woman looks at her cohorts at the table as she speaks.

"I needed a change of pace, to get away from the future I was damned too back home. This is the first stop on my travels."

"Very good, family back home then?" She asks.

"I have 6 brothers that won't miss me. They are all tied up in their own lives and kids. I told them I left and I'm not coming back." Eva smiles as the last words drop from her mouth.

"Good age, away from home, and a distant family? Tell you what, follow me and we'll see how you look in a uniform." Almara bids her company at the table farewell and starts to walk to a hallway out of _Afterlife_. Eva follows her attentively, still enamored with the idea of being a dancer and away from her home world.

"Is this still part of Afterlife?" Eva asks with concern as they turn another corner.

"You could say that." Almara opens a door on the right hand side of a hallway, "After you, just need to get you prepped for your new job." She tells her with a soft smile. The moment that Eva stepped inside she realized that she was in trouble.

"Wait… Wait, this isn't what you said at all." Eva says quietly, "I thought I was auditioning for you to be a dancer at _Afterlife_. This is like a…" She felt the hope slither out of her as she understood why she was being led so far from the club.

"You wanted a job, you got one." Almara lights up her biotics and grabs Eva around her neck, "You will be something unlike any of my other girls, a real treat for those that come looking to ease a little tension after a long day of work." Eva squirms in the hands of the woman to led her to this room, pulling at the blue fingers wrapped around her neck.

"No, just let me go. I won't work for you, I wanted to be a dancer not a whore!" She squeals with tears on her face, "This isn't supposed to happen like this!"

"You came to me with nothing. In return you get a room, you get paid, you get fed. I will ensure that you are well known, I have an idea for you Pet." (Name) releases Eva and lets her fall to the floor, "Let's call this an agreement for both parties, you help me, and I'll help you. If you refuse I will kill you, look up your family and ensure that they are met with the same fate." Almara smiles devilishly.

"No, just let me go!" Eva runs for the door but is stopped as the woman grabs her by her long, blonde hair.

"Look human, you work for me and get paid or I kill you and your family. I have 500 years in this game telling me that I can do it, don't tempt me. I'll even pay you if you make a big enough name for yourself as one of my little whores." She reins Eva back to her and grabs her arms. "It won't be that bad, but if you keep trying to run from me it will be."

"It is going to be that bad anyway! I don't want to do this!" Eva's forced to face her and look at her new asari pimp, "I'm a good person, I'm a good person who just has awful luck!"

"Oh princess, I'd say that you have terrible luck. Then again on the brighter side of things, I am the one that found you, it could have been worse." Almara puts her face to Eva's neck and takes a deep breath of her.

"I'm begging you, begging you to just forget you ever met me." Eva tried to stifle herself from crying and breaking down but it wasn't happening, "Please."

"I think I like you human, I think that you and I will work together just fine." The asari traces her fingertip along the edge of Eva's jawline, "What is your name woman?"

"Eva…. Eva Harper." She whimpered as she felt a tear roll out of her eye.

"Eva Harper, the newest addition to the group. I think you are going to be the one I teach cueboning too. It will be perfect."

Months had passed since Eva Harper had stepped onto Omega and into her new role that life had thrust upon her. She was nothing more than a prostitute, stuck on the hell hole that everyone had warned her about. The person that she once was had been decimated by the events of her life. The hope and fervor she had for life had been replaced by hatred and a sick twisted passion for the unordinary. The woman sitting on the edge of the bed, Eva Harper- Cuebone Extraordinaire, was nothing more than a hollow shell of the living, breathing person that she used to be.

Eva is pinged that soon she will be accompanied by a new gentlemen, that her services are needed again. She looks at the preferences that are sent to her and immediately changes things in the room for the next client. Eva had become what her last pimp had always wanted, a name for something that people could not get anywhere else. She was the best and was made painfully aware of how good she was by her clients. She blew out the match from the candelabra and slipped into a red dress before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hello, milady. I am Tiberius Gaiterus, proprietor of a knife and jewelry exchange. You must be the beauteous Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire?" The John spoke as he opened the door to find Eva. She was taken back by the human customer for a moment but tried not to make it noticeable. Her thoughts drifted to the last time that she was touched by a human, it was months and he wasn't the quality that this one was.

"Why yes, yes I am. I'm assuming you're here for my services?" Eva said with her nerves being a touch more evident than normal. She felt more like her old self in the two minutes of seeing him than she had in months.

"I am indeed, but let's not rush things, shall we?" He smiles at Eva causing her to smile in return as he came to sit next to her. Tiberius removed his jacket vest and button down, leaving his undershirt and dress pants. Suddenly he made an expression as if he had just remembered something. He pulled out two gold earrings, with dangling topaz droplets, and it looked like there was even a possible diamond. Eva could feel her eyes widen as he slipped the earrings in each ear.

She could barely think while listening to Tiberius explain the meaning behind the gems in the jewelry. The random act of kindness stirred something in Eva that she couldn't fully grasp at that moment, like she was slowly coming back to who she was. She wanted to talk to him, tell him that she was a normal person once before all of this. The moment that he asked to know about her, the walls that had taken months to build were crumbling. Eva poured out her soul to a man she barely knew more than a few moments, and he took in every word.

Tiberius was patient with Eva as she regained her composure from spilling her roots of her existence to a man she didn't know. She smiles at him as he looks at her sitting there emotionally exposed for the first time since she had stepped foot onto Omega. There was only one way she knew how to repay him and she took her time ensuring that he was not spending a single credit in vain. The physical entanglement that they had together in that room was more than just another trick for Eva, so much more than just another client. This wasn't just another man that was going to use her and throw her away, he was restoring an emotional connection that she had lost with herself months ago. She remembered what it was like to be alive by the time that they had finished their escapades together.

"How close are you to getting off Omega?" The words floated from Tiberius as she finished putting on a green dress. "I don't mean how many sentients have patronized you... How much do you have left before you can blow off... er, quit your pimp?"

"I'm still three thousand away. I only ever actually get maybe a hundred dollars or so a trick, but I generally go around after gang wars and look through pockets for loose change." Eva blushed at saying the words out loud.

"Here's eight and a business card. Get yourself some clothes, a doctor, a weapon, and some decent food, then get your tight ass off this shithole." Eva looked at him in complete shock as tears filled her eyes. "Go on, take it. I was planning to gamble on it, but its obvious you are a more worthy recipient."

"Thank you thank you I don't know how I can what I can why did you..." She wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry on his shoulder.

"Another cuebone would be great, but I think I'd just end up feeling terrible for it. So good luck and remember: Fortes fortuna adiuvat." Tiberius briefly looked at Eva again before leaving her alone with her thoughts, his words echoing in her head. She sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, clutching the credit chits to her chest.

"Fortune favors the bold… It's time to get the hell out of here." Eva was on her feet and on her way out the door. Tiberius had restored her hope and fervor for life. She wasn't going to waste another minute of it on Omega.


	9. Alice Liddell 2: Farewells

** Alice Liddell 2: Farewells**

** Written and submitted by KendokaGirl**

**Terminus Systems - Location Classified - Time Stamp: 0256L - Mission Time: 5 Hours 56 minutes**

We were in low orbit, using an atmospheric disturbance to mask our presence. We were well shielded, but even with the inertial dampeners, it was a rough ride. The turbulence was just starting to make my head spin. It was worse when I wasn't at the controls.

It was still dark on this side of the planet, early morning in local time, and all lights on our platform were turned off to keep our visual signature low. With my night vision goggles on, I scanned around the cockpit yet another time to monitor our instruments and saw that everything was in the green - EGT, oil pressure, eezo flow. The right seater, Lieutenant Nate Williams had the shift and was at the controls, but his hour was nearly up and there had been no activity at all.

I looked back into the cabin to see our offensive and defensive systems operators. "Anything? It's been six hours."

Both the OSO and the DSO shook their heads. Our DSO, Captain Frank "Papa" Pronek grunted sourly. "Nope, nada, nothing," he said without humor. I could see that his monitor was blank - no one was talking on the frequency that J-2 up at SPACOM had given us to monitor. Sometimes, I wondered if those guys knew what they were talking about. Swathes of analysts were supposed to pour over tons of data and give you actionable intelligence, but lately, it was just mush.

JJ, our Navigator, sucked his teeth. "Way too quiet. I don't like it."

"I wouldn't be surprised if J-2 sent us to a cow pasture or maybe even into a trap," I said skeptically. "Ever since they put that new senior analyst in charge, it's been an asylum over there." She was a nice person, but had no business in the game of intelligence.

"Don't say that too loud," Papa said from the cabin. "You know what happens when you tell the truth around here."

Everyone but the new LT pointed at me. "Seize her!"

Young Nate looked around, his eyes huge. ""What? What's that all about?"

I chuckled as I scanned the instruments again. "Nate, there is one thing you have to know about the Alliance. No good deed goes unpunished."

"But that's not what they taught me at the Academy."

I thought back on my time in training and I had to sigh. There were a lot of dreams that didn't come to pass and a lot of hard lessons that were learned, often at my expense. "Yeah...about that...I was just out of flight school and full of piss and vinegar. I was a fire eater all right. My mentors told me what to expect and I didn't quite believe them. Not yet, in any case."

Nate looked interested. "Wh...what happened?"

"Well, to make a long story short, my first day at my first squadron, no one expected me so I ended up with a chair pushed up against a wall. An old light colonel sat next to me, feet up on his desk, reading a magazine," I said, falling back into a smooth Virginia drawl for my imitation of the man. "He never even looked at me, but said, 'Young lady, there are only two kinds of officers in this here Alliance, those who have been screwed and those who will be screwed and every time the Alliance screws me, they get a day of this.' He spent the entire day reading magazines."

I watched Nate's stunned expression for a moment before the radio crackled. "Dawnguard, this is Sweeper, anything on the package?" The ground team was about as bored as we were.

I keyed the push to talk. "Negative, sweeper. We're just burning holes in space right now. What's your game plan?"

"We'll give it a while more. I don't like sitting out here on a limb. Feels like a trap."

"I hear you, Sweeper. We'll let you know if anything changes."

"Roger that. And Raven, it's always nice to hear your voice on the line. It's like there's an angel out there watching out for us."

"You flatter me. We'll have to grab a drink at the club when we get back." I was always a sucker for flattery, but I've been told many times I had a nice voice. Now, if I could just get it to sing on key. "Well," I said to Nate, "the hour is up. Let's change over. I have the flight controls."

"You have the flight controls."

Then, an idea struck me. I looked back at Papa. "Hey, switch over to frequency hopping. J-2 hasn't quite been on the ball lately, but hopefully they were in the ballpark."

Papa ran his hand over the haptic interface and a few frequency spikes appeared on the monitor, but nothing to get excited about. "Yeah, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that the new senior analyst was working for the enemy," he said in all seriousness.

"At least she's a hero to somebody," JJ chimed in. "You remember the time when she denied us that targeting analysis because it wasn't strategic intell?"

I shook my head with a snort. "But I called my friend up at SPACOM and he got it from her because we're supposed to share, but not with our own people." I looked over at Nate. "In the end, we got what we wanted, but had to use the back door."

"Ma'am, this is so fucked up. What did I get myself into?"

I felt bad for the kid. Fresh out of flight school and nowhere to go but down. "Eh, you'll do fine. Just keep your head low and stay under the lidar."

"At least until they have a non operations person put in charge of the group," Papa said. "It's only a matter of time before they have the cook in charge of Ops. Experience in the job is seen as a bad thing." He was more than right. It seemed like more and more people in charge had less and less actual knowledge.

I was about to throw two more credits into the mix when there was a faint squeal on the DSO panel and a spike peaked on the monitor. Papa held out his finger in the air. "I think we got something. Isolating... I got comm traffic on a narrow band. Locking in."

"Play it," I ordered.

Static squealed through the headset, mixed in with some discernable voices. They were talking in some sort of code. Papa fed the data into a voice analysis algorithm. "Damn, I got a match. It's the package."

A flush of excitement rushed through my body. Even after ten years I still wanted to do a good job and serve my people. For every hundred idiotic things that we did, there would still be one thing that meant something. "Sweeper, this is Dawnguard. We have confirmation on the package. We picked him up on 341.15, grid coordinates HN5607. Transmitting data to you now. Good hunting."

"Sweeper acknowledges. Thanks to you and your crew, Raven. We'll take it from here. Just watch our six."

"Wilco."

Papa brought up a thermal scan of Sweeper's position and we could now see red and green images of the team moving to where the package was located. They moved up to a cave entrance and the radio crackled again.

"Package confirmed. Sweeper Team, execute, execute," Sweeper One said in a voice so calm that he could have been ordering coffee. The lead operator threw in a flash bang and a white light clouded our sight picture. The team then moved in, single file, out of our view. This was the part I always hated. Anything could happen down there. I know. I'd been on a few of these myself when chance permitted.

Several tense seconds went by until the call came out, "All clear. Package in custody. Coming out."

We saw them emerge from the cavern with a man in shackles. There he was, a traitor to the Alliance who sold sensitive data to someone. Weeks of tracking and grilling sources led us to this point, no thanks to J-2. It was just a good old fashioned fox hunt by boots on the ground. "Great work, Sweeper. We'll see you at the exfil point."

Papa was normally a very dour man, graying hair and full of doom and gloom, but he had a smile now. "Sometimes, we succeed even in spite of ourselves."

"That we do, gentlemen, that we do." It would be nice to see that scumbag get what was coming to him and the proper authorities would get to mete justice. Our job was done and we could get on home now. My husband and I had not been on the greatest of terms and I needed to be back there, working on things. I set course for the exfil point and began dropping out of low atmo when we received a high priority message.

FLASH MESSAGE TRAFFIC

URGENT URGENT URGENT

AUTHENTICATION: PENULTIMATE

ALLIANCE COLONY EDEN PRIME UNDER ATTACK

BY UNKNOWN HOSTILE FORCES

SRV NORMANDY RESPONDING TO ATTACK

ALL ALLIANCE FORCES ARE IMMEDIATELY ORDERED

TO THREATCON 1

COMMANDER 5TH FLEET DISPATCHING REINFORCEMENTS AND

RELIEF TO EDEN PRIME

STATUS OF SRV NORMANDY UNKNOWN

END MESSAGE

JJ's eyes widened. "Son of a bitch! Do you think it was those damn pirates?"

"It's got to be," Papa said. "Who else would attack our colonies? We should have kicked those batarians back to the stone age."

The earlier elation vanished as I engaged thrusters to land at the exfil point. "Well, one thing's for sure...this day just got more interesting. Let's get this mope back to HQ and we'll figure out what to do next."

**On Approach to Arcturus Station - IAF GECKO - 0539L **

"Arcturus Station Approach, this is Dawnguard on 269.0, squawking discreet code, requesting RNAV Yankee with bravo."

A familiar woman's voice came over the radio. "Welcome back, Dawnguard. Ident, please."

I tapped the control to highlight our transponder code. "Dawnguard with a flash. How are you doing, Kelli?"

"Worried about Eden Prime, Alice. Dawnguard, lidar contact, you are cleared for the RNAV Yankee from GECKO. Contact tower at JUNGL on 257.8. Your escort will be waiting at the docking bay. Have a nice day. See you in the gym."

"Copy cleared for the RNAV Yankee from GECKO. Will contact tower at JUNGL, 257.8. I'll let you know if I hear anything about Eden Prime. Thanks Kelli."

Everything from here was a cake and I just followed the headings on the chart to the next fix and switched over to tower. I looked back into the cabin to see Sweeper Team sitting with the package, a middle aged man who looked more like a professor than a traitor. You could never judge a book by its cover though. He was now dressed in a red jump suit and shackled to one of the seats, surrounded by armed men who would sooner shoot him than spit on him.

I let the autopilot take the docking so Nate and I could fill out the flight forms. Papa and our OSO, Francine "Frenchie" Nishimura had already shut down their stations and were sipping ice tea in the cabin, talking about the recent attack. The moment we were docked and shut down I popped the hatch where a dozen armed marines awaited the package. Sweeper Team stood him up and hauled him out the door.

"Hey Raven, thanks for the lift again," Sweeper One called out with a wave. He still had his balaclava on, along with his tactical goggles. "Next time we'll bring you along out there."

"Count on it!"

We all egressed the platform and headed off to the debriefing room for the 1056th STS. The job still wasn't done until you'd talked the whole thing to death. I signed the shuttle back to our chief, George, and caught up with the crew. You could see the tension written on everyone's face as we filed in and took our seats. I threw my flight back under the table and leaned forward. "Okay, I'm going to keep this short. I know we all want more information on Eden Prime, but let's just get past this one mission. Anything?"

Everyone just shook their heads. I knew they wanted to get out of there and get on the news. I shrugged. "Everyone did their jobs and comm wasn't an issue. Papa, you picked up on the COMINT right away and we got that info to Sweeper for the grab. I'd complain to J-2 about the spotty intell, but it would fall on deaf ears."

Papa snorted his disgust. "Shit, Raven, you'd just give them an excuse to go after you."

"I'm nothing if not diplomatic so I'll gently let them know of their error, which they'll blame on us. We can all expect our hard work to result in awards for them. Well, that's about all I got," I said as accidently I kicked my flight back under the table. Something began to buzz and vibrate loudly.

"What the heck is that?" Frenchie asked, looking around.

I had opened my flight bag just as I realized what it was. My blood ran cold. I desperately reached in and turned off a long, latex device. My face flushed red. "It's...uh...It's my...brush, yeah."

Frenchie burst out laughing. "It's BOB!"

JJ and Nate scrunched up their faces. "BOB?"

"Battery Operated Boyfriend!" Frenchie squealed with glee.

I ripped off my aircrew patch and flung it at her, hitting her in the chest. "Oh, shut up!" Boy, was I glad to end this trip and get back home. "All right, get out of here and go find out about the attack on Eden Prime. There will be a command briefing at 0800 that will tell us more. Then, we can all catch a break and get some rest."

**Four Months Later - One Week After The Battle of The Citadel - Human Embassy - Time Stamp: 1422Z**

_May you live in interesting times._

If I recalled correctly, that was an ancient Chinese curse. It seemed that the passage of time and the transformation of human culture over the centuries didn't change many of these maxims invented by our ancestors. I looked out over the Presidium from the deck of the embassy and it was a mess. The detritus of war lay strewn about, cast aside like toys from a child's tantrum. I could just identify part of the hull of a turian cruiser and the nacelle of an Alliance dreadnaught. Smoke still roiled up from areas of the wards and from what had been the Presidium promenade. It was sickening to see and I could feel my gut tightening into a knot.

"Hey look," Frenchie said, pointing down at something that looked like a giant bugs leg, sunk into the Presidium lake. "I think that's part of Sovereign. Good for you, asshole!" she shouted at the part.

Just seeing part of Sovereign was unnerving. We didn't get too close during the battle a week ago, but were able to provide electronic warfare support against the geth fleet. Sovereign was big enough from a distance of many kilometers. "So, that's the prototype geth flagship, huh?" I asked.

"If J-2 is to be believed," Papa said with deep skepticism. "I never trust a word they say these days."

"I'm getting there," I added. "It doesn't even look geth. And how did J-2 develop that intelligence so quickly? They never do anything fast." I looked back to see Councilor Udina, surrounded by both armed men and other diplomats.

Papa looked back with me. "I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but Commander Shepard's got something that the brass don't want coming out." We'd all found an admiration for the _rogue_ N7 operative. She was someone who bucked the ridiculous bureaucracy to get things done and save lives. She was someone I could look up to even though we were about the same age and rank.

I noticed that Councilor Udina still had the shiner where Admiral Anderson had decked him in order to allow the crew of the _Normandy_ to take the ship and save the Citadel. "Look over there...Udina's still got that black eye. I don't know if I'd have had the guts to do that or to steal the _Normandy_ like they did."

"Wasn't the greatest career move on their part, but that's the part I love about it," JJ said.

I thought about it for a moment. Ever since I'd pinned on major I'd been a lot more cautious in my career. I was always weighing options to maximize my ability to stay out of trouble. A few years ago, I'd have been right there, jumping on board, risking court martial for a taste of glory. It would have been totally worth it.

I heard the tromp of boots and looked over to see a group of marines and C-Sec officers approach. The OIC, a captain, gave me a nod. "Ma'am, we're here to relieve you. You guys go grab some chow and rack time. We'll take it from here."

I tilted my head towards the ambassador and his entourage. "Just keep any geth off of them," I joked. "It's been quiet the whole shift." Force protection like this was pretty boring, but it beat what we had been doing since the geth attack.

The captain wore a patch that put him in the First of the Twenty Third. These guys had earned their pay out in the Terminus Systems back when we were _only_ fighting pirates. "Good," he said, "we need a break." The guy really looked tired.

"You been jumping in on the recovery efforts too?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty rough out there."

"I hear you. We've been pulling shifts at the sift sites. Lot of bodies."

There was a fire in his eyes behind the fatigue. "We'll get some payback, major. You count on it."

"Oohrah, captain. Carry on. We'll see you tomorrow."

My crew and I walked out of the embassy past more armed guards, tarp covered bodies and some assembled wreckage. "I hate to say it," JJ said, "but I'm just damn glad it wasn't earth."

I thought about my husband back in Virginia. My mom and dad were off in Portland, Oregon, visiting relatives. My two brothers were also in the Alliance, defending hearth and home. I don't know what I'd do if my family got hit. "Yeah. We're here to stop that from ever happening. Well, I'm going to grab a workout. What are we doing for dinner?"

"I was going to head down to Dark Star Lounge," JJ said. "Grab myself a drink. Frenchie, LT, you need to go too," he told Nate and Francine.

Nate nodded. "Yeah, I could use a drink. What about you, Papa?"

"Nah, I'm not a club guy. I'm going to check out the news vids. I still say that the brass are keeping something from us."

I shook my head with a chuckle. "You and your news vids, old man." I looked over to the rest of the crew. "I'll catch up with your there. Don't make me rescue you though."

**1531Z - Embassy Workout Room**

I'd been hitting it hard to work off the anger and the stress after the attack. The geth had struck the heart of galactic civilization and no one really knew why. Well, scuttlebutt said that Commander Shepard had the real angle on the situation but no one was backing that horse. I'd even heard of a few people being disciplined for even mentioning Reapers. You couldn't speak truth to power. I was at a recent staff meeting and it was the elephant in the room that no one acknowledged. I couldn't imagine what the general populace was going through in the aftermath. The news that they were being fed was even worse, full of myth and conjecture. I didn't think that anyone really knew the truth.

I jumped off of the treadmill, proud of my 6:15 minute miles and jumped down on the mat to do some plyo. Pushup...clap...pushup...clap. If there was one thing that made my arms burn it was good plyo. Next came pushup...jump into the air...clap and repeat. Everyone knew to give me space for a workout because I got downright cranky when denied. A few years ago I was running my ass off, seven days a week with 12 hour days for an ungrateful system and it was killing me and my marriage. Last, came a pyramid set. One pushup, jump up for one pullup. Two pushups to two pullups and so on until eight. I pushed out the last burpie and landed in a puddle of my own sweat, moisture dripping down my running bra. I wiped myself and my mess up with a towel and hit the locker room.

As I pulled off my workout gear I looked into the mirror. One thing I could be kind of snotty about was that I was pretty tight, tall and lean. I brushed my chocolate brown tresses under the heat of a hair dryer and then rubbed lotion onto my tanned skin. Yeah, I could be vain. I was a reformed stuck up Alpha Chick, once obsessed with beauty and popularity. I knew I looked good and I had worked it. And, in a world of mostly men, I knew I had more than a few admirers and I was always a shameless flirt. I had a long way to go before I would be the person I should be. I looked down at my wedding ring and let out a sigh. I had to put that thought away. I guess that was what BOB was for.

I had a few minutes to hit the sauna and shower before JJ, Nate, and the others would miss me. Off duty, I was a snazzy dresser and I slipped on this silky aqua number that fit my curves snugly. There was always this duality about me that both wanted and shunned the attention. I guess I still wanted to feel like a woman even though it seemed like that part of me was slipping ever farther.

I caught the shuttle over to the Dark Star Lounge and I could hear the music from a block away. It was a throbbing technopop that reached down to your very bones with the vibration. I walked in on high heels to see quite a crowd. _At this hour of the day?_ Well, a lot of us needed to blow off steam and show that we were glad to be alive. I scanned around, but couldn't see my crew so I pushed my way through the throng to the bar where a petite young woman was mixing drinks. I'd been here a couple of times, but always got the turian bartender. Unexpectedly, she looked at me about a foot and a half lower than my eyes. I normally got this from men. I raised my finger. "Umm, what's on tap?" I looked around and noticed a lot of people "getting it on" here. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

She seemed to catch herself. "Oh, sorry. I love your dress. Kani's the name. You want something mixed?"

I looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Umm...oh, shit, surprise me."

"I think I have just the thing for you. But, if you don't mind, could I see some ID."

I pulled out my military CAC card and held it out. "I'm flattered. You just made my day."

"Wow...major...I'm sorry. It's just that you don't look like you're out of college yet."

A huge smile crossed my lips. "You are going to get a huge tip," I said, pointing my finger. "So, uhh, where's the chatty turian? You know, the one who loves to gossip about everything?"

She about spilled my drink in an outburst of laughter. "I have never heard him described quite like that." She slid a tall glass of green my way. "If you don't mind my saying so, miss..."

"Alice, I'm Alice. Nice to meet you, Kani."

"Alice...if you don't mind my saying so, you look troubled."

I snickered darkly. "I'm that transparent, huh?"

She shrugged politely. "I do this for a living."

"You don't have other customers?"

"Eh, the cheery turian can get them. He spends way too much time talking."

I matched Kani's earlier laugh. "Okay, my crew and I are down here as part of the recovery effort. It's, ummmm, it's rough."

"Were you up there when Sovereign and the geth attacked?"

"Yeah, we were electronic warfare support. We helped jam geth targeting and find weaknesses in their shields. Far enough away not to be shot at, close enough to see Sovereign's ugly face."

"So, what about the recovery?"

I stopped for a second, not sure I wanted to have breached this wall. That moment a couple of days ago at the dig site was still fresh and raw. I took a sharp breath and a long drink of green. "Wow!" I coughed a couple of times. "This is strong. Good...strong, but good."

"The recovery?"

"Whew...yeah. We...were digging down at the site. There's no one left alive now, just parts and bits...burnt bones and clothing. I...I found children's clothing down there." It was like someone was sitting on my chest. I bit my lip hard. "Sorry, I can't talk about this right now. It's still too raw." I drained the rest of the drink and it hit me like a ton of bricks. "God, I'm such a lightweight."

She touched my hand, just one person to another and stayed silent. I wiped my cheek with a napkin and blew out a long breath. "Damn, look at me. I'm supposed to stay strong for my crew. Shit, now my mascara's all fudged up." I slid her a 100 credit chit and gave her a sad smile. "Thanks, Kani, I'll see you around."

"Sure thing, Alice."

I went off to the ladies room to square my face away again. Then, I wandered back to the dance floor to kick it off. I never did find the guys that night.

**One Month After the Battle of the Citadel - Zakera Ward Rec Center**

_Focus, one-hundred-percent focus._ I let my vision blur just slightly as I took a deep, cleansing breath all the way down into my stomach. In spite of the blurry target in front of me, I could now see clearly - _enzan no metsuke_, gazing at the far mountain. It was as if I were covered in an aura of energy and I felt light as if floating on a cloud. I began walking as if I had not a care in the world.

I approached the first target and my right hand moved to the _tsuka_, the handle of my shinken. In a smooth motion, a razor sharp blade slid from a blue cherry wood scabbard and swung upwards into a straw tatami mat. The _gyakugesa _cut was meant to slice and opponent from groin to collarbone. _Thwop!_ A piece of straw flew away and I established a two handed grip and cut downward diagonally in _kesagiri_. _Thwop!_ I could feel the energy in the sword, a life within the steel. I turned to another target and unleashed three _kesagiri_ cuts from opposite directions, dismembering the mat. _Thwopthwopthwop!_ I addressed a third target, slicing horizontally, back and forth with _yoko ichimonji_. That target cut to shreds, I pivoted and brought my blade above my head in _jodan_ and swiveled my hips to power a downward cut with _tate ichimonji_. The mat split in two from the top. I could imagine a geth's flashlight head coming apart like a melon.

I stepped back and popped the blade to the right in _yoko chiburi_, a move meant to shed blood from the blade in the days of the samurai. I admired the weapon for a moment, steel folded by a craftsman in a hot forge, blue wrappings on the handle over white ray skin, golden dragons adorning the grip, and a guard carved into the form of waves crashing over rocks. But what always caught my attention most was the wavy pattern near the cutting edge, the _hamon_, the crystallized steel that made the weapon one of the finest of its type. It looked like the foamy surf, subtle yet powerful.

"That's very impressive. Where did you learn such art?" a man said and I stopped to look over to a tall man with some interesting scars. His accent was decidedly European, German I thought.

I flipped the back of the blade to my left hand and sheathed it, a snappy moved called _okuden noto_. I had gotten to the point where I was no longer afraid that I would slice my hand when doing this and it was all on instinct now. "I've been part of a dojo back on earth for many years now. My sensei is nanadan. You look like you know a thing or two as well."

"Yes, I've definitely been around the block."

"Well, I'm Alice...Alice Liddell."

"Please, call me Krieger."

I was about to extend my hand when the a newscaster interrupted the banal music program on the monitor. "This is Emily Wong, reporting live from the Citadel where we are deeply shocked and saddened by the news that the _SRV Normandy_ has been destroyed in action. We have no further information on this tragic event, but can only say that the _SRV Normandy_ has been lost and that Commander Shepard is reported as Missing In Action and presumed dead."

I'd lost focus by then and stepped back a couple of paces, needing to lean against a wall. I had gotten to the point in my career where I never believed the "official" story and the Alliance's reaction to Shepard's report on the Reapers told me that they wanted something suppressed. So, it seemed to me now that one of the only persons doing anything about this had just been spaced. I blinked hard a couple of times and then turned back to my follow bystander. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances, Krieger. Perhaps I'll see you around though."

He nodded and left me to my own thoughts. Regardless of what had just happened, I still needed to complete the discipline that I had begun. Perhaps this would also be a show of respect and honor that the crew of the _Normandy_ deserved from me. I knelt down in _seiza_ and undid the the string, the _sageo_ that bound my weapon to me. I carefully slid it out of my _obi_ and laid it to my right, bowing deeply, holding the position of respect for what seemed like eternity. There was nothing more that I could do except to honor their memories.

**Thirty Three Days After the Battle of the Citadel - Earth - 1400Z**

As members of the Alliance, the 1056th STS was able to attend Commander Shepard's funeral. We learned that the body was never found, but that there was no way anyone could have survived the loss of oxygen, the vacuum of space, and that heat of reentry onto Alchera. We were just faces in the crowd, but at least we were here to pay our respects. JJ, Papa, Nate, and our ground crew all stood with hands folded and heads bowed. I reached over to a hand on my right and held on to my husband, Evan. In a silent affirmation, he gave me a gentle squeeze.

There was a flood of emotion that churned in my gut. It had been a wild ride this past year, from counter-piracy raids to the geth attack on Eden Prime to the Battle of the Citadel and now, yet another tragedy. I started to tune out the eulogy as I became lost in my own thoughts. Before I knew it, the proceedings had been concluded and I saw the crew of the _Normandy_ file in front of an empty casket being lowered into a hole in the stage. Eventually, it was our turn and we walked in single file to express our regrets to Commander Shepard's parents. As we passed the grave, Evan tossed a rose into the hole that was nearly filled with mementoes and expressions of sorrow. I had given it some thought beforehand and I reached into my uniformed overcoat and pulled out an Alliance flag, scorched around the edges from battle. I found it during the recovery efforts as I dug through the rubble and I knew that this was just the place for it to rest. The person who saved the Citadel should receive the proud colors.

I've always considered myself to be a cold, unemotional person, but as I walked away my legs began to wobble. I'd been biting my lip to keep a hot, moist feeling from flooding my face, but I could go no further. It was as if every tragedy I'd faced in my career came back to me all at once. I saw myself back out in the Terminus Systems, staring down at a dead child, tortured to death in tribal infighting. I was back at medical station where a friend had blown his brains out over stress and bad leadership and I was the responding officer, holding his bloody head. I was at a forward operating base where the man next to me was greased by a sniper and I stood, thinking it could have been me. And finally, I was squatting down in the rubble of a kindergarten on the Citadel, digging up a child's clothing, the Superman symbol just recognizable through the charring. Now, a great hero and possibly the only hope for the Alliance was dead. My legs gave way. All I could remember from that point was sobbing uncontrollably as my husband and my crew held me.


	10. Chiyo Maede 2: Apples and Death

**A/N: Heya, I'm Mirari . Divinus or you can call me Rari. As Legi posted, feel free to join us in Aria's Afterlife for fun, drinks and boobs. Can I say that here? I don't remember...*grins* Or maybe I do. See you around folks~**

The sand washed on the shore dancing around my feet as I stared off into the distance. In my hands a braid made of human hair welded together with golden wire. I reached up to touch my newly shorn head brushing the curls out of my pale green eyes.

I was a strange sight to see sitting on the near empty beach. A backless tank top showing off the full length marquee on my back drew the long stares of suitors and angry glares from the jealous.

"Nothing but a high priced whore...what is she doing on our beach?!" A woman whispered to another.

I sneered and ignored the attention, my focus on the distant lands across the sea. Overtime however my green eyes wandered and my mind wavered. My tranquil thoughts pierced by misty visions.

'_Focus on your steps, you're a lady not a man! Now do the course over again!' Tedra yelled, snapping a willow switch at Chiyo's legs. _

_Chiyo narrowed her eyes and studied the course, the near-invisible strings glittered in the fire light. Sliding her foot back an inch she launched herself over the first string landing on her heels as she quickly rolled to the side. With a whistle a small dagger flew out of her hand hitting a target that spawned at her side. She moved again, quickly, her body arching in a somersault as she launched herself up into the air to land on the other side. Sidestepping the knife that flew past her cheek she quickly bent herself backwards to dodge the second knife and flicked her dagger at another target. _

"_Faster Chiyo!" Tedra yelled as she stamped her cane on the ground. _

_Chiyo gritted her teeth and danced backwards, her feet moving slowly in the sand as she watched the next target spawn behind her. _

"_Hey Chiyo! Someone bought another three inches of your Marquee! Get ready, they'll be picking you up in two hours!" Letta's voice interrupted Chiyo's concentration causing her to stumble and miss a step, sharp pain danced across her bare foot._

_Chiyo turned to stare at Tedra, who only nodded her head. _

"_Go," Tedra ordered and Chiyo turned to rush into her quarters._

_The handmaidens had already pulled her Kimono out of the box and began to set up her accessories. One maiden ran a cleansing cloth along Chiyo's skin, sandalwood and jasmine scented oil was next. Her long black hair was brushed and styled with the red flower. Her round face, painted white with black accents around her eyes and lips painted red as cherries. The dress was shrugged onto her shoulders as a cloth embroidered with sparkling stones wrapped tightly around her waist. _

_She reached into the wooden case, pulling out two silver daggers and slid one into her hidden sheath on her waist, the other strapped to her wrist. _

'_Last assignment and I'm free!' she grinned to herself as she stepped into the carriage. _

'_Hey flea!' a male voice said from across the carriage._

"_You're my escort tonight?" Chiyo asked curiously, blinking pale green eyes at Kenji._

"_Yeah, Tedra insisted," Kenji grinned, his amber eyes glowing in mirth._

_Kenji's hand reached across the carriage and grabbed hers squeezing it slightly before withdrawing. _

"_You leave for the System Alliance tomorrow don't you?" Chiyo resisted the urge to bite her lip._

"_Yeah, you gonna miss me?" Kenji grinned, white teeth flashing in the darkness._

"_Of course! Do not doubt that!" Chiyo retorted hotly._

"_Relax love, you'll wait for me right?" he teased his hand ghosting along her face._

"_Forever!" she smiled up at him in the darkness wishing deep in her heart that her freedom was guaranteed with the last three inches of her marquee. _

She blinked the sudden tears that sprang into her eyes. Reaching up a pale hand she wiped the rebellious tears that fell. She bit her lip to prevent the next memories from flashing. - perspective

_A house burned to the ground, screams echoing into the night. Kenji's form pushing her out the window as their house fell under attack. Her back ached in pain from the marquee tattoo, inhibiting her movement._

"_Go Chiyo! Run and save yourself. Marquee completed or not you will never be free!" he shouted, the walls collapsed around him. _

_She fled..._

I shook my head, curls tumbled around her face.

'_So you're joining the System Alliance in my place, Chiyo?" _an image ofKenji's flickered and grinned next to me. _"You're not even old enough!" _

"They said they'll let me train early, due to my previous training."

'_Which training? Who'd even authorize that?'_

"Tedra's training...They're training me to be an infiltrator, a spy."

'_Hm, Tedra taught you how to move in the shadows...tied with your other skills...' the image crossed it's arms and nodded approvingly._

"There will be no one but you!" tears now slowly trailing down my cheeks unchecked.

'_Don't say that Chiyo...there is someone waiting for you...he's just as lost as you are...'_

"Kenji..." I breathed softly as the image vanished.

With a gentle hand, I unwound the gold wire surrounding the strands of hair gently opening my palm letting the wind carry my hair across the sea. Saying goodbye to the ghosts of my past.

I grinned up at Tai and quickly pushed him into the wall as I climbed over his shoulders into the window.

"C'mon Chi you really think breaking into someone's house on your break is a good idea?"

"You dared me too!" I grinned at the dark skinned man.

"I was teasing!" he groaned as my small foot landed on his head.

"Yeah well, you shouldn't have dared me into sneaking into your roommate's room!"

I snuck a peek into the glass, and only saw darkness.

"Chiyo if you don't knock it off I'll have to arrest you."

"Psh, I'd be out of those handcuffs in two seconds flat!" I bragged as I slid my hand across the glass.

"Hey Tai, how come you never let me meet your roommates? You ashamed of me?" I pouted, faking a hurt voice.

"For very obvious reasons..." Tai growled as he wrapped his fingers around my ankle and tugged, sending me crashing on top of him.

"Ow...! Hey!" I grumbled brushing black curls off my face before giving him a faint smile, "aww c'mon you're no fun!"

"Look, Chiyo you're rarely in the Citadel as is. Your job keeps sending you everywhere and I don't need another roommate falling deeply 'madly in love with you,' I NEVER hear the end of it."

"In love with me eh? Who was it last time? The Asari? She was nice...she was almost as pretty as Sha'ira."

Tai let out a groan as I bounced on her feet. He reached over and ran his hand through my curls tousling them gently.

"You really are a pain in my ass, ya know that?" he slung his arm across my shoulders, nudging his chin on top of my head, "Hey, how long is your break this time?"

"Not sure...My handler is waiting for something major. They want me to check it out though, knowing my luck it'll be something boring."

"Nothing is ever boring when you're around," digging his chin even more into my cranium, "You got a place lined up to stay?"

"Ow! Stop that! Nya though, Hotel for now till I find out what's going on."

"Stay at my place tonight then since you're here."

I tilted her head and looked up at him, pale green eyes suddenly assessing.

"Don't give me that look, Chiyo. We both know its a good idea, plus, I'm not letting you wander the streets in a drunken fit, it's for the safety of the civilians."

Chiyo let out a sigh and nodded, "Fine, but only one night. I don't want to put you out."

Once they got inside the apartment he watched as she quickly made herself at home on the couch. Giving a light laugh as her feet dangled from the seat.

He gave a deep sigh as he smiled at the dozing young woman, remembering the first encounter he had of her. She was being pinned against the wall by a batarian customer outside of Flux. He had assumed she was one of the dancers until she had pulled out a dagger and threatened to cut off the batarian's pride and joy. She had turned to him with an innocently coy smile as the dagger immediately vanished somewhere on her person.

"Hey C-Sec bout time you got here."

He thought she was just some rough kid living in a dangerous world and attempted to arrest her only to have the Alliance step in and pick her up. Since then, she'd randomly drop in on him at work, her feet perched up on his desk kicking her heels. He was surprised to learn her real age, even more surprised to learn what she was exactly. After that, their friendship blossomed with each passing.

My stomach grumbled waking me up from my light sleep. I eyes cracked open as I rolled to the side coming face to face with Tai's sleeping form. I let out a soft growl as I placed a small foot square of his back and pushed slightly causing him to roll and fall off the bed.

"God damnit Chiyo! Why'd ya push me off the bed?!"

"I'm hungry," I pouted looking up at him with puppy dog eyes.

"There's food in the fridge, go help yourself," Tai grumbled as he climbed back in the sheets and fell promptly back to sleep.

I got up and stretched my tired muscles, pulling my long black hair into a pair of chopsticks and quietly padded into the kitchen. Opening the fridge I noticed the different colored containers, I picked up one and gave a perplexing look.

'Hmm...maybe he's dating a nice quarian girl,' I thought with a faint smiled. I reached deeper into the fridge and froze as a sound came from behind me. I quickly turned spotting a shadow coming towards me and quickly flung out a fist.

"Oof," a dual toned voice grunted in the darkness.

"Hmph," I took a step back shifting my stance. My hands moved up to block the incoming attack which I followed with a jab to the thorax testing to see just WHAT I was fighting. As my fist contacted metallic plates, the instant recognition of *turian* guided my movements.

I ducked to dodge a double-punch that danced dangerously close to my head. Using my inertia to plant a palm strike I pivoted to the right, and plaster the mandibles of the provoker with a sharp kick.

I felt talons close in a vice grip around my ankle, however, arresting my movements I transferred my counter-swing to rock back grabbing my knife and plunging it between the bones of the turian's right foot.

The turian let out a growl of pain swinging his left foot catching me under the chin then flung me to the floor, my body falling limp at his feet. The turian kicked me then proceeded to another room.

In the pause I surged to my feet. My movements mimicking the sleek deadliness and grace of a cougar. I jumped into a cat pouncing stance before launching myself at my unsuspecting prey. I chased him down with an over the top double-fisted hammer blow

The figure countered, thwarting the attack and landing one of his own, an open-handed palm slap to my ear and followed up with a jab to the stomach.

A crippling weight settled on my body. The turian pinned me to the floor then inhaled my scent. His nose rubbed up against my neck sucking in deeply causing a shiver to roll up my spine.

"Did you...just sniff me?" My eyes widened in disgust.

A second later the lights flicked on and Tai stood over them.

"Damnit Chiyo," Tai grumbled as he rubbed a hand down his face.

"He sniffed me! This guy was smelling me! Like he was gonna eat me or somethin'!"

"She hit me," the dual toned voice growled.

"Marcus let her up, and no you can't arrest her," Tai sighed nudging the turian with his foot.

"She stabbed my foot!" Marcus growled out again as he rolled off me glaring.

I watched him closely. I'd seen turians before but never up close. He was slender, pale gray with light green clan markings along his face. Dark green eyes stared back at me just as intently. I mutely held out my hand and gave him a small smile.

Marcus stared at the human next to him, mandibles held tightly to his face as he took her form in. 'Dainty' was the word that came to mind, slender with a heart shaped face, tilted green eyes, a small nose and plush lips. Her hair had come undone and tumbled around her face in unchecked curls.

Marcus reached for her hand and let her help him up, the top of her head barely reached the middle of his chest. He watched her shift from foot to foot nervously.

"Chiyo," I said smiling up at him innocently.

"Chiyo, don't give him that look, it won't work on him." Tai grumbled as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Where did you even have that dagger?"

I grinned sheepishly tilting her head.

"Trade secret~!" I laughed looking down at Marcus' hand still grasped around mine. "Oh!" quickly letting go and blushing.

"Are you...wow, you're actually blushing!" Tai cheered as he slapped Marcus in the back. "Don't think any guy has ever made her blush, good on ya Marcus."

"Oh?" Marcus asked interest shining in his eyes.

"I hate you," I grumble slinging a soft punch at Tai's mid section before bending down to pick up the chopsticks for my hair.

"I'm still hungry and since you're up make me food." I said pouting up at him.

"Your cooking isn't that bad, you should be cooking," Tai chuckled leading her to the kitchen.

"Uh do EITHER of you care that my foot is STILL bleeding?" Marcus growled as he watched the two walk away.

"So Tai, how come you never told me you got a new room mate?" I commented as I jumped on the counter and sat down, lotus style.

"How come you didn't tell me you were coming to the Citadel? Last I heard you were on Omega," Tai dug into the fridge pulling out some sandwich fixings.

"Classified, my handler never gives me a time frame, they just tell me to go here go there and get the job done. Hell, my work with Sha'ira was easier and more relaxing," I said with a smirk watching Marcus as he sat down in the chair applying medi-gel to his foot.

"Marcus has been living with me for almost a year now."

I tilted my head down, a flash of sadness crossed my face.

"Hey now, none of that. It was the longest you were gone for but you're back now, for however long." Tai patted her head.

"Yeah well..." I grumbled, dropping my feet off the side of the counter lightly kicked my heels against the tiles.

"So...you're a consort?" asked Marcus.

"Something like that but no, not really," I paused before gazing up at the ceiling, "Sha'ira trains me from time to time but I never default on to those. I was trained as an infiltrator for the Alliance, went through ICT training and everything."

"You went through ICT training?" Marcus grinned, slightly impressed.

"Yeah, it's hard, not for everyone but I did alright..."

"Just getting a chance to go through ICT is a big deal. How far did you get to?"

My omni-tool pinged causing me to sigh gratefully, "Excuse me." I jumped from the counter and disappeared into Tai's room causing Marcus to raise a brow plate.

"She sleeps in your room?" Marcus gave a sly grin.

"Oh god, no no no! Do you even see how small she is? That'd be like sleeping with my little sister!" Tai said with a grimace.

Marcus paused and looked at him thoughtfully, "A sister? You two don't even look alike."

Tai let out a sigh and ran a hand through his short hair, "Look...its a human thing I guess. She reminds me a lot of my little sister if she ever had a chance to grow up. That same dangerous curiosity, the way she looks at everything. That...even with all the darkness around her...she still finds something to smile about. It's just reminds me a lot of Jenna alright?"

"You never told me you had a sister...what happened?" said Marcus.

"She got shot, back on earth. Drive by shooting between two gangs," he tucked away the remaining deli meats, "She was just a kid...but when she died I decided to join the police force back on earth. From there I was offered to come to the Citadel to 'broaden my horizons' but that's all in the past now."

I strode back into the kitchen dressed in skin tight black and green leather silver glinted at certain points strapping my daggers in place. My long hair hung down my back as I hopped from one foot to the other to attach a small black dagger to my ankle sheaths. Marcus gazing at how casual she suited up.

"Orders, quick job. Shouldn't take a few hours...if its alright, I'll come back here, otherwise I'll head to the hotel. I'll pick up the rest of my gear when I'm done," I pulled out two objects and held them out to Tai.

Marcus eyed her from the back, the skin tight leather accented her narrow waist, and wide hips. His gaze slid down her legs and back up to the profile of her face. He was glad humans couldn't hear his subharmonics singing in interest. He watched as Tai lightly smeared white powder on her already pale face, followed by a pale green line going down the center of her lips.

I took a step back as Tai finished lining her eyes with black kohl, I tilted my head giving him a smile.

"Thanks," I said, cuffing him on the chin.

Marcus raised a brow plate at the display he witness, filing it away to be used for later teasing. He watched in amazement as her fingers moved through her hair braiding it quickly and tucking it into her hood as she pulled it up only showing the lower part of her face.

After giving it some thought, Tai confronted me ,"Nah, screw the hotel Chi, just come back here. You already beat up Marcus so..." he grinned tugging the hood down on my face.

"Thanks," I said again giving Marcus another quick once over before walking out.

"You can pick your jaw up off the floor," Tai said with a smirk as Marcus continued to stare at the door.

"She...uh...looks familiar in that get up..." Marcus said lamely trying to save face.

Tai hid a smile behind his cup, "It's trademark for her uh...jobs...not common in Citadel Space but memorable if you know what you're looking at."

"I thought she worked for the Alliance?" Marcus asked.

"She did but not anymore. She doesn't talk about her job, probably safer for her that way..."

Marcus stared at Tai thoughtfully before nodding slowly, "Alright, something NOT to talk about. Got it."

"Go to bed Marcus, you have morning shift remember?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Marcus groaned as he stumbled off to his room.

Marcus found a red rose in the middle of his bed that night when he returned home from work. Questioning Tai, he was met with an amused stare and a chuckle.

"You made an impression on her, leave it at that. Besides, aren't you dating that Asari Waitress at Flux?"

I decided to play a game with Marcus every time I was on the Citadel I'd leave random things on his bed. First, a rose with a green line down a petal, next it was a small Jade statue of a cat, a box of turian chocolates, and a few illegal gun mods.

One particular night I snuck into his room and found a lacquered box on his bed with a green and black jade pendant on it. I slowly opened the box to find eight inches of glossy black obsidian. The hilt was wrapped tightly in green and black colored leather. I palmed it in my hand and smiled at the even balance lightly tossing it into the air and catching it.

"Glad you like it, he did the handle himself by the way," Tai said from the doorway.

"He did? That's sweet of him," I said with a smile as I slipped the pendant into my shirt.

"He broke up with his girlfriend," Tai said pointedly.

"I know, I was there, cloaked." I snorted.

"So you're the one that threw the apple at the back of his head."

"Guilty," I flashed a smile before my face turned thoughtful.

"When are you going to tell him that you've been around for more than he thinks?"

"After...I figure out what is going on...I never thought I'd feel like this again...not after..." my head slowly sunk to her chest.

"Chiyo..." Tai sighed and advanced towards me, causing me to jump up and walk past him.

"I've got to go...you know the drill."

Marcus cursing the lack of sleep and the noise from the kitchen. He rolled out of bed and pulled on loose pants, foregoing the shirt to investigate and came upon a familiar scene.

Chiyo bent over in front of the fridge looking for food.

"Hey Marcus, Tai left you a note," I said gesturing to a datapad on the table. He walked over and flicked it on.

"_Won't be home, staying at Lia's tonight. Try not to hurt each other this time." _

Marcus let out a snort and dropped the datapad and focused on Chiyo as she continued to pillage in the fridge.

"You've been using my bed,"said Marcus.

"Yeah, Lia didn't take too kindly to me walking in on them having sex and passing out on the floor after a job."

"Ah so thats why I smelled blood and jasmines"

"I also know you've been following me during my shifts," Marcus said as he wrapped his hands around my waist eliciting a small scream from me as he plopped me on the counter, pulling my legs around his waist.

My hands instantly went around the back of his neck, nails digging into the sensitive bundles under his fringe.

"Sorry about the girlfriend..." I said with my lips and tongue working around his mandible.

Marcus had the grace to shrug as his eyes drifted close at the first touch of my lips. His fingers digging lightly into my side. My fingers ghosted between the plates of his shoulders, and chest eliciting a soft rumbling purr in his throat and chest.

"No you're not..." he rumbled as his blunted talons dug into my hips pulling me closer.

"You're right..." my fingers drifted to the soft abdomen scraping lightly across it with my nails. My fingers coasted to his sides and snaked around his back continuing to dig my nails in between his plates and pressing myself closer.

"Never been with..a..." I let out a soft gasp as his teeth nibbled the soft delicate skin on my neck, "with a turian...before." I gasp as I shuddered in his arms.

"Good..." he rumbled voice ending in a soft growl.

I arched into his touch as his talons slide under my shirt to ghost lightly over my stomach and up my chest to lightly tease my nipples. While his tongue explored my mouth. I pushed him back slightly to tug her shirt up over her head and tossing it on the floor. He rumbled in pleasure and lightly tugged my waistband browridge up in a questioning smirk.

I nodded, one hand reaching between them to untie the waistband of my pants and lifting my hips up slightly I shimmed them off down my legs, kicking them off to the side sitting in a dark green thong. My hand moved to the waistband of his and quickly tugged it off to pool around his leg spurs.

I brought my both hands around his waist and squeezed lightly, nails digging into the soft leather. As his hands explored my upper chest, testing the weight of my breasts, to ghost up my neck and lightly cup my face to stare into his eyes.

"Are you sure...? You accepted the dagger...you've got to know what I meant by it..." he said his subharmonics singing with pleasure.

A smile flickered across my face as my hands went to the back of his head, pulling it to press against my forehead causing him to purr louder as his hands went around my waist to pull me tightly against him.

"Guess you do," he rumbled as he lifted me up and carried me to his room.

"Ahh! Hey didn't have to throw me!" I teased as I landed on his bed with a soft thud before stretching out, arms stretched over my head and legs opened slightly. He rumbled in pleasure and slowly advanced on me, crawling over me while he lightly nuzzled my legs apart and snaked his tongue over my covered center.

"Ohh...that feels...nice..." I moaned softly as his teeth lightly bit the waistband of my thong and tugged it off with force, ripping the delicate fabric. "Now that is just hot," I groaned as his tongue snaked to tease my moist folds causing me to lean back down onto the bed and grip the sheets tightly.

He brought me close to finishing before he stopped and slid his way up my body, his erection rubbing lightly against my leg.

"Chiyo..." he growled her name causing me to shiver and arch my hips against his.

"Please..." I begged lifting my hips up higher against his.

The 'please' broke him, he surged into me hard and heavy a deep growl vibrated his chest as he began to slide in and out of me in quick slick motions. My nails dug into the soft spots between his back plates as my heels dug into his waist with every thrust holding him in place. He buried his face in my neck and licked and nipped my earlobe to my neck in quick motions. My upwards thrusts quickened as I clenched my walls tightly around him.

"Iku...!" my legs tightened around him causing him to swell inside me signaling his own release. Mandibles flared wide in pleasure as he let out a groan and filled me. He rolled to his back pulling me with him, keeping himself inside me he continued to thrust upwards, he brushed his finger lightly over my clit and watched as I arched my back over him, mouth wide open with pleasure. "Chiyo..." he groaned as he filled me again. He tucked me into his arms, pulling the blanket over us and crooned softly into my ear.

Marcus woke in the morning, blindly reaching for Chiyo's body and pulled her back into his arms causing her to let out a soft giggle as she rolled closer to him.

"Didn't take you for a snuggler with your pointy bits and all," she smiled up at him.

"Only with you," his hand opening and closing on my hip possessively.

"You're not a morning person are you?" I struggled to sit up only for him to pull her back down to his chest.

"Shush Chiyo, it's not morning yet," he gave me a small squeeze causing me to squeal.

"It is morning! And I'm hungry," I pouted at him giving him a light punch to the chest.

"You're always hungry," he rolled on top of me gazing sleepily in my eyes.

Her soft eyes met with his, they seemed to gleam in the low light as he stared.

"Fine...I'll make you something, but first..." he pushed his self into her causing her to moan and arch up against him.

I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist as I dug my fingers into his arms. I slowly rotated my hips to take him in deeper while I leaned up and lightly bit the edge of his cowl causing him to groan loudly into her ear.

"Spirits, Chiyo..."

My omni-tool pinged a call causing them both to groan in frustration.

"Sec...don't stop just keep quiet..." I said as she clenched my walls tightly around him.

"Maeda..." I said, as I pushed the comm link in my ear. "No, mm...I'm-I'm not at my hotel I'm currently busy. Mhmm...mmm, I'm on break till tomorrow morning, it can wait."

I grinned wickedly and tilted my hips up with a small rotate biting back a gasp. Marcus struggled to control the growl building up in his throat as I continued to tease him.

"Yes, fine. I'll check it out tonight. I'm planning on going there anyway. Fine, see you tonight," I let out a groan as the comm disconnected.

I reached up and lightly squeezed Marcus' waist as I thrust upwards. My muscles clenched tightly around his as I climaxed. I grinned up at him with love and lust in my eyes, causing him to spend himself inside me.

He lay panting with his face buried in my neck while I gently stroked the skin between his back plates.

"Now will you feed me?" I teased with a grin on her face.

I tugged the skin tight leather dress down my legs and brushed my curls of black hair off my shoulders, carefully applying my makeup as my eyes drifted to Marcus' bed. He had left to start his shift a few hours ago leaving me to my meditation and yoga. Dabbing my wrist, calvarial and behind my ears of my jasmine perfume I headed out to Flux to meet my contact.

Entering into the loud club, I spotted an empty table and settled down, a drink was shortly delivered to my table by the bartender. My eyes roamed around the room while I took careful sips of my drink.

"Chiyo?" a dual toned voice purred in my ear.

I turned to smile at the drell man standing next to my table and gestured the other chair with a tilt of my chin.

"Hey Krale, long time no see," I smiled as my eyes flashed briefly.

Krale reached a hand to lightly caress my bare arm sending goosebumps to spread.

"I missed you..." he purred a muscular leg sliding between mine.

I flashed him an irritated look and leaned back into my chair.

"Krale..."

"I know, I'm just teasing you. That turian officer has been staring at you somethin' fierce," he laughed as he leaned back into his chair and lifted his drink in a toast to the person standing behind me.

"What turian officer?" I said turning around quickly, pale green eyes clashing with furious dark green eyes.

"Oh...shit," I grumbled as I rested my face on my palm.

Krale let out another laugh and shook his head sliding a OSD across the table.

"That's your target," Krale said as he continued to stare at Marcus behind Chiyo.

I barely nodded and slipped the OSD into my omni-tool causing a small screen to flash over my eyes as I studied the files.

"Hmm, should be easy," slipping the OSD into one of my many pockets. "Time frame?" I asked as I swirled the straw in her drink.

"A week, you leave tomorrow, morning," Krale took a sip of his brightly colored drink.

"So, you're not going to say anything about the turian STILL staring at you?"

I give him a hard stare and raised an eyebrow.

"Fair enough, just be careful Chiyo," Krale said softly as he got up and brushed his lips across my cheek.

I stood up, tossing Marcus a questioning glance I moved towards one of the private rooms in the back of Chora's Den. He quickly looked around and followed behind me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as his eyes roamed over her outfit.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said as I pulled him by his collar and pressed my lips against his mouth plates, lightly biting the bottom one.

"Working," he growls at me as his hands settle around my waist.

"Ditto," I mumble into his neck while I wrap my arms around his waist pulling him closer.

"Always had a thing for men in uniform," I growled softly as his tongue swept into her mouth.

"Duly noted..." he growled as I lightly bit his neck.

"But right now, you have to go back to work and I have some files to scan." I say softly pushing him away and running a hand through my curls.

"When you get home though..." I say biting my lip, letting him see the hidden promises in my eyes.

I took another step back, letting a smirk ghost over my face as I watched him regain his composure.

"I'll see you later...Marcus." I grin as I sauntered out the door, adding an extra swing to my hips as I heard him growl softly behind me.

I made a quick dash out the door, hearing a loud commotion I turned to watch as a group of soldiers gathered around a video terminal. I pushed my way into the crowd, ducking under someone's arm and stared in shock as the news flashed across the screen.

"The funeral for Commander Jane Shepard, the First Human Spectre of the Galaxy is being held tomorrow..."

I stand between Marcus and Tai, dressed in our dress blues. We stand in a crowd of thousands that fill the large stadium. I wrap my five fingers around Marcus' three and rest my head on his shoulder, with my eyes closed I sing along to the song the war orphans sing.

"_Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,_

_That saved a wretch like me._

_I once was lost but now am found,_

_Was blind, but now I see."_


	11. William Hagebak 2: Simpler Times

**William Hagebak: Simpler Times**

**Story by unity9**

Lieutenant Commander William Hagebak stood in his office. He looked around his surroundings and takes a deep sigh as he picks up his coffee. Then he opens the drawer in his desk and picks up his silver flask. He pours a slug of scotch into his coffee and sets it back down in his desk. Then the young officer looked at the decorations on his wall. It was littered with pictures, degrees, and awards. Not that he cared for the awards and the degrees, Hagebak felt that showing those off was a form of forced vanity. A kind of peer pressure from his fellow officers to show-off what you earned to become an officer. He would much rather not have them up.

The pictures; however, he loved having up on his wall. It was pictures of his family and his friends, all were of him dressed in his uniform. Then he looks at the first picture of himself. The first picture of him wearing the uniform for the first time. It was a younger version of him, wearing a sharp dressed blue uniform with a decorative cap. He was standing at attention with an Alliance flag draped behind him.

Hagebak takes a sip of his coffee and says to himself. "Those were the days back then." Then he looks at himself in the mirror next to the photo. The image has changed since that picture was taken. The youthful looking recruit in the picture looked nothing like the hardened officer standing before him in the mirror. There were more scars on his face since the day he took that recruit photograph. He takes a deep breath and said. "Simpler times."

He opens up his Omni-tool and looks at early journal entries. He found the one he was looking for. It was a voice journal from when he went through basic training.

XXX

**October 18, 2178**

Two months since I just graduated from the Averros University on the colony planet of Gibson, an industrialized planet that specializes in business and scientific research. Mom is a district administrator for the ExoGeni branch on Gibson and dad is a Captain for the Alliance. After graduation, both my parents sat me down and asked what I wanted to do with my life. From my point of view I only had two choices. Become a desk jockey and work for a soulless company like my mother or join the Alliance and get dirt thrown at me on a daily basis. I choose the latter.

It was expected of me to do something with my life since I was the oldest of four brothers and I just happen to be the first generation born on Gibson since my parents immigrated to this colony from Jacksonville, Florida on Earth… no pressure, right? I decided to follow in my father's footsteps and maybe become a career soldier just like him.

Dad gave me the rundown of my job options in the military and he suggested that now that I have a four year degree in my pocket, I qualify to be an officer. However, no matter what choice I make I have to go through boot camp. There's no way around it, dammit! Boot camp. I still remember those old Earth vids, especially that one called _Full Metal Jacket_. I just had the image of being lined up and having some well-dressed guy yelling and screaming at you, making you piss your pants, and if you do something wrong you get smacked around a bit.

Today is the day. After endless trials of paperwork and being personally violated by various doctors and their long & bony fingers, I was cleared for leave and for the first time in my life I was visiting Earth by myself. No family visitations, no trips to major theme parks, no touring the major cities, just me against the elements. I was told that I will be going to a place on Earth in the United North American States called _Great Lakes_. It was a base that specialized in basic training and all humans from all over Alliance space come here to become fully fledged Alliance servicemen and marines. My transport ship will be landing on Earth's moon Luna and from there I will be taken on a transport directly to Great Lakes. Before I got here, they told me that I must be issued a new Omni-tool. This Omni-tool doesn't have all the bells & whistles my old one has, but this model is specifically made for Alliance personnel and as a part of stress relief on recruits, I am "encouraged" to make a journal entry at least once in a while. So this is my first entry. Now I have to stop, because my transport is here.

**October 21, 2178**

Here's the lowdown so far. I forgot to mention earlier that I was traveling with other recruits from my colony of Gibson. We were traveling in groups and when we got to ticket information counter, the man behind the counter pointed us in the right direction. We didn't even ask for directions and he already knew where we were supposed to go. The joys of repetition.

When we got to our gate, we were met with blue uniformed men and women all herding a bunch of young people around. The dark skinned woman looked at us and said. "_Alright, recruits. Now line up and remember. When you see someone in uniform and they are wearing solid blue pants, you refer to them as 'serviceman'. When you see a uniform wearing a gold stripe running down their pants, you refer to them as 'chief'. Do you understand?_"

"_Yes, serviceman_." We replied as she downloaded each of our information from our Omni-tool.

"_Now I want all of you to go sit over there on the floor, crossed-leg_." The woman ordered and I complied.

I sat down on the cold floor and waited for a plain white transport ship to pick us up and take us to Earth. While we waited, there were other servicemen in full uniform verbally bantering us. A little precursor before the two months of yelling and screaming.

The transport came and in less than twenty minutes, we landed in the Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. When the transport doors opened, an intimidating gentleman wearing an old fashioned Marine Drill Sergeant uniform and yelled. "_You have ten seconds to get off this bus and you already wasted four! Move it! Move it!_"

We were lined up and whatever we did, we did it in groups. We were given physical training gear, running shoes, and blue sweater shirt & pants with an Alliance logo on the front. We were told that we will be 'going asari' for a day which means we will be wearing the blue sweater PT uniform until we are each measured to fit into our Alliance uniforms, which we got yesterday.

After we got our clothes and hygiene products, we were taken to our barracks. I was assigned to 609 Division and it was when me and my fellow recruits met our drill instructors. A short and stout man we had to refer to as Chief Price. The next was a middle aged woman with curly brown hair and a permanent scowl on her face. We had to refer to her as Serviceman First Class Provost. Then there was the one we had to call Serviceman Second Class Anderson. He was very intimidating of all the three. He was tall, he sported a traditional buzz-cut, piercing blue eyes that could stare into your soul, and he could yell the paint off a wall. Anderson would make a krogan cry.

After we got our uniforms, we were officially on what is called Preparation Days which consisted of a full week regiment of medical & dental inspection, getting my head shaved, and then we finally got to meet the man in charge of the base. His name is Captain Czarapata if memory serves correctly. All the newest recruits were required to meet him in the Graduation Hall. I managed to get a video feed of him making his speech and this was the best part:

_A man decorated in a blue uniform and gold trim approached the podium and stood before an audience of roughly ten-thousand recruits from all over the Human Systems Alliance. He takes in the sight of the numerous people before him and nods in approval. He takes his decorative cover off his head to reveal his well-groomed hair with the color of salt and pepper. He clears his throat. "Recruits! Welcome to RTC Great Lakes and most importantly, welcome to the Alliance military. My name is Captain Donald Czarapata I am the Captain of this base and I stand before more than ten-thousand recruits from all corners of Alliance space. You have volunteered to do a deed greater than yourselves for your family, your friends, your community, and most importantly the human race. This very base you are going to undergo your training holds was originally built in the early twentieth century by the old United States to serve as a training facility for its newest Navy recruits. Today we uphold that tradition of honor, courage, and commitment which all of you will take to the stars and beyond. You will all undergo a rigorous twelve week training period. The many things you will learn how to function inside a standard Alliance starship; such as stowing gear, properly addressing authority, firefighting, hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, and shipboard operations."_

"_You have volunteered to do these things and I stress the word, 'volunteer'. Now you all have heard of the Turian Hierarchy, correct?" A few recruits made the noise of boos and hisses, but they were suppressed by the roving Drill Instructors. "Of course you all know of the events of the First Contact War twenty-one years ago, but did you know about how the turians take in their recruits? It is mandatory in their society to draft their young at fifteen years of age. Imagine being fifteen years old and you were told that you must serve in the military for fifteen years minimum? You were barely starting high school at that age and imagine being conscripted into military service? I know you have all had at least one friend back home who doesn't want to join the military, because they don't have the right mindset for duty. Now imagine if they were forced to join, do you think they would last basic training?" A collective shout of 'No' was ringing all over the hall. "No is the correct answer. Even if they do survive basic training, do you think they would last out there during their tour of service?" Another shout of 'No' came ringing across the hall. "That's right. You are volunteers. And volunteers are highly motivated individuals that will commit to causes that are bigger than themselves. You are all entering this base as volunteers and twelve weeks from now, you will leave here as a serviceman or a marine depending on your choice of duty."_

I'll stop right there. The rest of his speech was just talking about what we will learn, what we will be doing, blah, blah, blah. Well, it's lights out. See you next entry.

**October 25, 2178**

It has been a week since I arrived at Great Lakes and today we had just moved out of our Preparation Barracks and into what they called Proper Barracks. One of these barracks was going to be our home for the next eleven weeks. We packed everything we were issued in our large duffel bags and marched in formation clear across the other side of the base. We came to a building named after a decommissioned ship. The whole concept is that we treat the inside of the building as if we were onboard a ship. The name of the 'ship' was Ship #7 and it was called the SSV Phoenix. Someone asked if it was named after the city, but it was actually named after the mythical Greek bird and it was also the first Alliance ship that ventured through the Charon relay in 2149. The mission was led by Colonel Grissom, Lieutenant Colonel Sandhurst, and yes Doctor Averroes. I'm all too familiar about the professor who discovered element zero and discovered the mass relays all over the galaxy, since I spent four years in a college named after him.

The next big surprise was the size of the Compartments and we found out that our all-male division was going to be shared with an all-female division. It turns out that our compartment was to be shared with both men and women, even when we shower. Yes the showers are co-ed to accumulate the limited space on a ship. To most of the males in the compartment, it sounds like a lot of fun. That was until we were drop our gear at our chosen bunks and marched back to the medical building. We are to receive a series of shots.

They called us up individually and out of a hundred male and female recruits, they only had five medical staff members to service us. The staff was made up of civilians, but it a relief because it meant taking a break from being at full military attention.

When they called my name, I reported to room three. I was met with an asari. Yes, it was an asari nurse. I met asari back on Gibson, but never seen one working a job on Earth before. I took a recording of that scene back there and I will repeat the conversation for this journal. Here's how it went.

The asari nurse pointed to a stool next to a series of syringes. "_Please have a seat, Mr. Hagebak and roll up your sleeves._"

"_Yes, ma'am._" I sit down and do what she tells me to do. "_My I ask a question?_"

"_Yes._" She said as she was applying her latex gloves.

"_I have visited Earth many times in the past and the only asari I have seen were the tourists. Do you live here?_" I asked, because knowing a little history about someone isn't wrong to ask, especially if that someone was about to stick needles into my body.

"_Oh, well yes I do live here. I work here because my bondmate is a Gunnery Chief in the Alliance and stationed here. Not to mention that we have two children._" She smiles as she readies the first syringe.

"_Oh, then he must be a lucky man._" I said.

"_Actually, the correct term would be 'she's a lucky woman'._" She told me and I was a little bit embarrassed. "_Yes, she's a human female._"

"_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make the wrong insinuations._" I said while at the same time trying to wrap around the thought that a human female could be a father of a child when it involved bonding with an asari.

"_Don't worry. I'm not, because I love her and the kids we have together. But I am sorry about this._" She rubs alcohol on my shoulder and prepares to inject the syringe. "_Do you know what this is?_"

"_No, what is it?_" I asked.

"_It's called __finasteride type 25._" She said. "_It requires two shots to each arm._"

"_What does it do?_" I nervously asked.

"_It will suppress your sexual desires without harming your hormonal balance and performance during your training and the effects will only last for thirteen weeks, since you will be sharing a compartment and showering with other females of your species. It is simply called the Salt Peter Shot. Here we go._"

I took the shots, but it didn't hurt. "_That wasn't so bad._"

"_Now I have to ask you to drop your pants and skivvies._" She casually said.

"_Excuse me?_" I almost yelped.

"_For the Salt Peter Shot requires two shots on the left shoulder, two on the right, and one in specifically in the genitals._" She said while making the last syringe ready.

I drop my pants and I try to make a light absurdity of the situation. "_I know that you are an asari and married to a human female, but we males have something down there that's supposed to be there. I hope you know that._"

"_I'm quite familiar with human anatomy, Mr. Hagebak._" She reassured me. "_You have nothing to worry about. I only castrated one male this week._"

"_What?_" I asked while my eyes went wide.

"_I'm just kidding._" She giggled. "_The last shot must be administered in the genitals. For a female I would inject this into the ovaries. For males, the testicles. Here we go._" She injects the needle and I feel a slight pinch. It almost felt like getting lightly tapped in the groin area. When she pulled the needle out she asked. "_Are you alright?_"

"_Yeah, I'm alright._" I said. "_I'll live._"

"_Alright, we're done here._" She pulls off her gloves. "_You can return to the waiting room._"

I limp slightly out of the room and I get smirks from the other recruits after they got their shots, but I wonder if the shots really worked. I was able to test it out later that evening when we were told to 'go hygiene' which meant go shower with many of our fellow female recruits. Let's just say the Salt Peter Shot works.

**December 25, 2178**

Merry Christmas. We were allowed to have an in house free time which meant getting our responsibilities out of the way at a more casual pace and it was a time when we could write to our families or call them on the extranet terminals, under supervision of course. This was the last training week before Hell Week. So far we have learned to operate firearms, put out a fire on a ship; we have gone through rigorous physical training in simulated training scenarios. Everything we have done has now let us up to this moment which is fast approaching. I'm a bit excited, but nervous. I don't know what to expect, but rumors around here love to get out of control. I heard it simulates a ship you are on getting attacked by pirates above the orbit of some planet and then you must work with a ground team to land on the surface and eradicate the pirate forces on the surface.

I just hope marching isn't required during Hell Week. Marching is my weakest area, but it could be worse. I could be the flag bearer. They go through so much crap from the Drill Instructors. I swear Anderson was enraged with one of them because he had trouble with 'Guide by right' when handling the stick that was supposed to be the flag. Anderson was so pissed he grabbed the stick and broke it in half right in front of the poor bastard.

My bunkmates are a nice bunch to hang around. Some of them are from colonies like me, but mostly farming communities. A couple of them are from Shanxi and talk about their parents and grandparents fighting off turians, but everyone thinks that the colony has become the 'Alabama of the Alliance.' I think I know what it means, but you have to be from Earth to understand that joke. Speaking of Earth the other recruits I don't hang out with are a few of the Earth born kids. They tend to be a bit cockier and tend to have more trouble with authority figures. _Why would they be in the Alliance military?_ I ask. Perhaps some just join to get away from the slums of Earth and I think a couple was court ordered. _Join the military or go to jail_. I can't help think that they only join because they can't hold down a job in the civilian world. I'm not saying that all Earth born humans are bad, but these guys are making hard to like them. I'm beginning to suspect that some of them were in gangs before joining the Alliance when I think I heard one of them saying the name _Reds_.

**January 5, 2179**

Well, tomorrow's the big day. Hell week. Let's see what's going to happen and I'll write after it's all over. Here goes nothing.

**January 12, 2179**

Jesus Christ and all that is holy. My body is in tremendous pain. I just went through an intense week of pain. Nothing to eat but nutrient paste tubes and water and I sweated away at least twenty pounds of body weight. Let me tell you about it.

We packed everything in our duffle bags and carried it onboard a fictional Alliance ship surrounded by a massive holographic simulator. When we entered on board, we were assigned bunks. The simulation was amazing and felt so real. We were pretending to be travel through space and we are supposed to undertake the duties and responsibilities of working on a ship. Then it happens, we get a distress call from a generic human colony and we are the only ship in the area. They are attacked by pirates… now I know it would be politically incorrect to say which species [*cough*] batarians [*cough*]. Then we have to work together to destroy their pirate ship. We managed to destroy the ship, but our ship took damage. We had to rescue the injured servicemen & marines and save our ship. After that was over, we landed on the planet's surface and we had to liquidate the pirates that had landed on the surface. We landed on the surface of the fake planet and I must admit it also looked very real.

The whole process lasted an entire week. We kept guard, did patrols, and when we did encounter a pirate it came in the form of a holographic image of a batarian and once in a while a holographic krogan. The whole process pushed my body to the limit and then some.

When it was finally over, we were given a special ceremony that turns us over from recruits to full-fledged servicemen and marines. We were barely awake to celebrate, but now our Drill Instructors told us to get some sleep for the next eight hours. Tomorrow we all graduate and our family and friends were going to see us in our finest dress uniforms. Until then. Nite nite.

**January 13, 2179**

Graduation went great. The stands were full of friends and family of the graduating military personnel. I never felt so happy to see members of my family. My dad, my mom, and two of my youngest brothers came to see me. I was only allowed to invite four members of my family, but I hoped my other two brothers were waiting for me somewhere.

Mom gave me a big hug; she has never hugged me like this before. My brothers do the same thing, but when I saw my dad I just saluted him, because he was wearing his Captain's uniform and my training would only allow me to give him the proper respect to a superior officer. But off the record, when we got back to their hotel room he gave me a huge hug. Then to my shock, my other two brothers were waiting for me at the hotel. They tackled me to the floor and we called each other the dirty names we gave each other since childhood.

We got to see the sights of Chicago and we got something to eat. We ate some deep dish pizza the city was famous for and for an entire day I felt bliss. However, the fun didn't last. Dad had to report back to his ship while my brothers had to go back to school. Mom also had to go as well, because she was coordinating ExoGeni's next colony on some planet in the Terminus called Feros. I knew they couldn't stay for long, but I couldn't help but feel the water turn to ice around my eye as I walked back to my ship on that snow covered base.

**January 16, 2179**

Today is my last day. We were given our next assignments. Some members are sent to trade school and must remain on the base which in terms is called 'move across the street' since they will no longer be in the basic training side of the base. The recruits who had chosen to be a marine are going to Rio de Janeiro in the United South American States and train. The recruits who became servicemen are going to Vancouver, British Columbia. The rest of my division are being divided up and scattered all over the Earth to train for the jobs they applied for. As for me, I was the only one who was going to officer training school and guess what? It is located in Rio. I guess me and the marines are going together and when we are all done, my former division crew will have to salute me. Looking forward to it. Maybe in the future, I can apply to join the N7 program. Well here's to a new life.

XXX

Lieutenant Commander Hagebak read through his past journals and shakes his head. "Those were the days. Those were the days when all I had to worry about was trying to get out of basic and all my worldly possessions could fit in a large duffel bag." He sighs and takes a drink from his scotch flavored coffee and looks at himself in the mirror. "In four years, I went from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander. Seems just like yesterday."

There was a knock on his door and an somber young officer saluting him. "Sir. We just received an emergency transmission."

"What is it Ensign?" Hagebak replied.

"We got a message from Admiral Hackett." The Ensign said with a tone of sadness. "Shepard's ship, the Normandy. Since it has been attacked by a vessel of unknown origin about a week ago, the new human Councilor and Admiral Hackett is organizing a memorial service for Shepard."

"Where is the service going to take place?" Hagebak asked.

The Ensign replied. "It will be held at the Presidium Wards near C-Sec academy. The Admiral wants all hands on this one."

Hagebak shakes his head and put his coffee down. "When do we leave?"

"The service begins next Saturday at twelve noon Earth time." The Ensign told him.

"Let the Admiral know that our division is ready and able. Inform the crew to get their dress blues ready next Saturday. That is all, Ensign." Hagebak dismissed the young officer. He looks back at the pictures on the wall and frowns at a picture of himself receiving an N7 graduation certificate and it was being handed to him by Shepard. "Simpler times."


	12. Maike Ariasu2: Loss, Loss, and More Loss

**Arias here with my original pen name, anyway it is nice to present to you my second chapter of this collab, Loss, Loss, and more Loss, I hope you enjoy it,**

**Disclaimer, I owns nothing absolutely nothing, not even the clothes I'm wearing, oh wait I have no clothes, JK the mass effect universe belongs to Bioware, and my chars are up for grabs, not**

**2183 Arcturus station, Alliance frigate Dragon light.**

Maike had been planning several contingency plans for when they entered the relay and reinforced the citadel fleet, _I never thought I would do something like this, _he says, then he looks at his Omni-tool, reading a message he hated more than anything once again to make sure he wasn't imagining things

_From: The parents of Richard L Jenkins_

_To: Maike Ariasu_

_ We regret to inform you that our son, Richard was killed in action on Eden Prime during the geth assault, we know how close you two were as friends, he told us that if anything should happen to him that we tell you, he has been dead for several weeks now, and we only received the alert a few weeks ago. We feel your loss, Richard said that you two were like brothers, and that he is sorry that he made it to the other side first._

_ Sincerly, the parents of Richard L Jenkins._

Maike closed his eyes as he thought about the message, _Damn it Jenkins, we were supposed to have a great retirement, _he opens his eyes waiting for the ship to exit the relay, and into the middle of the battle at the citadel.

Once they exit the relay Maike immediately notices the destruction that has taken place before they arrived, "Damn," he hears one of the operators on the bridge say as they look through the window.

Maike focuses on the battle ahead of him, _This is the battle Shepard was preparing for, these bastards are responsible for Jenkins, _he thinks, _So now I'll make them pay._

"Orders Captain?" Maike asks his commanding officer.

"Ignore the destiny ascension, focus on the geth flagship," the captain says.

"Gladly," Maike says, "Bring them in fast, and light them up," he tells the pilot.

"Yes sir," the pilot says as he puts the pedal to the metal, and the Dragon's light rushes forward towards the squid-like ship on top of the citadel tower.

Maike watches as they get closer to the geth Flagship, "There is no way Geth made that," he says to himself, as they begin to open fire on the ship.

The ship itself had very strong barriers, and was taking in everything they threw at it, "Sir those barriers are going to cause us some problems," one of the operators says, to which Maike starts thinking of various ways to weaken the barriers.

"The closer we are, the harder the shots hit," he says to himself, and the pilot looks at him like he's crazy.

"You aren't suggesting we actually get point blank with that thing are you?" he asks with wide eyes, "that's suicide, have you seen what it did to the Citadel fleet?"

Maike's eyes harden, "And do you know what it will do if we don't try?" he asks as he looks at the squid, "this isn't about if we live or die, it's about if we fight our hardest, and know that there was nothing else that we could have done," he tells all of them, to which all of them remain silent, until the pilot turns to the Captain.

"Orders sir?" he asks him.

The Captain closes his eyes, as he gives what would most likely be his last order, "Take us in, get as close to that damned thing as possible," he tells the pilot who nods, then salutes, as he turns back to the controls and follows his orders.

Maike turns to the Captain, "It has been an honor sir," he says as he salutes.

The captain returns the salute, "Yes it has," he says, "but if there is any chance of us making it out of this," he says, "I think I'm going to retire," he tells Maike, "It has been a good run Mr. Ariasu," he says as he holds his hand out.

Maike takes the hand and shakes it, "It has," he says then turns to the battle in front of them, and says to the pilot, "Fire at will," he tells him, to which the pilot complies.

After about a minute of non-stop Salvo from the Dragon's light, the Squid ship, turns one of it's arms to it, "Brace for impact!" the pilot yells as a red beam comes towards the frigate, and hits it.

"Status report!" Maike yells, as he looks around.

"Sir, we have lost pressurization in Decks 3, 4, and 5," one of the operators says, "we have lost power to the engines, and are sitting dead in the water, we still have main weapon's capabilities, but have lost all secondary weapons."

Maik looks at the captain, "We won't survive another hit," he says as he looks at the estimated casualty report, "we've lost 50 percent of the crew," he says, "I don't think it's going to stop at just crippling us," he tells the captain.

"Continue the salvo!" the captain orders, "if we go down, we go down fighting," he then looks around at his crew, "It has been an honor serving with you," he says as he walks to the galaxy map and stands on the platform in front of it, "Open the intercom," he says.

Maik complies with it, "All yours sir," he says.

The captain takes a deep breath, "As most of you know, probably already know, we have been critically hit, this ship is dead in the water," he announces, "and we have lost many friends. I will say this though, as long as we live, we will fight, and we will win!" he says keeping his voice level, and most of the bridge nods, with the exception of Maike and the pilot, "this situation is grim, I will not lie to you, we don't have good chances right now, but I promise I will do everything in my power to get those who remain, back home to their families. That is all," he says as he closes the comm.

Maike looks at the ship that would most likely be their destruction, and smiles, "It's the grim reaper," he says, earning a chuckle from the pilot, but as soon as Maike finished his comment, the one of the operators looks up, with a grim look on her face.

"It's going to attack again," she says, which makes everyone on the bridge look down at the ground.

"It has been an honor," the captain announces as the red beam engulfs the ship.

Maike put on his breather mask as soon as the ship was hit, and luckily wasn't hit by the initial blast, as was the pilot who was trying to do something, "Life support is offline, artificial gravity has been disabled!" he announces to the mostly dead bridge, "We are heading towards one of the wards," the pilot says, "we're going to crash!"

Maike grabbed onto something, as he waited for the ship that he's served on for the past three years to crash into the citadel and closes his eyes, "Eternal Dragon," he prays, "if I die today, I pray that my death be quick."

The Dragon's Light crashed into the Citadel Wards, and Maike was knocked out by the crash, still breathing, with a few broken bones, he was lucky, no one else survived the crash, and any that did, soon succumbed to the painfully slow death of bleeding out.

**10 hours later Citadel field hospital, **

Maike woke up with one of his arms in a cast, and an extreme pain in his ribs, he then felt his head with his good hand which was bandaged up, and felt the bandage on his head, "Probably have a concussion," he says to himself as the pain in his head confirms his statement.

He looks around the tent to see others with sheets over their bodies, signifying that it was too late for them, "I see you are awake," he hears a fast, and high pitched voice, usually reserved for salarians, "good, you are lucky," he tells Maike, all the while said patient was wondering if this salarian was a male or female, it was hard to tell.

"I guess I am," he agrees with the doctor, "How many others survived?" He asks, although he thinks he knows the answer, only confirmed by the silence of the salarian, "I see," he says, "I think I'll walk around, if that is all right with you," he says.

"If you want, just needed to check on your vitals, if dizzy recommend sitting down and waiting," the salarian walks out of the room Maike waits for a minute before getting up, immediately getting hit with a wave of dizziness and nausea, but despite the doctors orders, he continued to stand and started to walk, each step feeling heavier as he went on, "This is annoying," he says as he opens the door,

Maike has to lean on the walls of the broken buildings to walk, and he looks at the destruction caused by the battle, "This is hell," he says to himself, as he walks towards a burning ship, the Dragon's light.

When Maike reaches his former home, he sits down in front of it looking at the wreckage, a lot of the bodies had been collected, but there most were vaporized along with the ships hull, and were never going to receive a proper burial, "This wasn't supposed to happen," he says, he had made many friends in the past three years, all of them dead, and no one to talk to, "Why did I survive?" He asks himself.

"You are meant to live," a familiar voice says to him as an unlikely being sits next to him.

"You are supposed to be dead," Maike says to Jenkins.

"I am," Jenkins responds, "but your subconscious felt you needed something to kick you in the ass," he says in the usual light tone that Maike so fondly remembered.

"Well then kick me in the ass and get the fuck out of my head," Maike says not one bit relived by this figment of his imagination, "you died, they died, all because of one damned ship," he says as he looks back at the ship and his mood visually lowers.

Jenkins sighed, "Wish it were that easy," he tells Maike, "but until you come to terms with this, I'm staying with you, also you are drawing some attention," he says.

Maike knows this, why wouldn't a man talking to himself in front of a burning ship draw attention? He shakes his head, "Just leave me alone," he says.

Jenkins shrugs, "I'll be back," he says, "you know that, I know that, so see ya," he says as his figure dissolves away.

Maike sighs as he looks onto the broken wreckage of the Dragon's light, "I hope Saria doesn't kill me," he says to himself as he stands up and walks back to the field hospital.

**Ten days later, Arcturus station**

Maike had been given some R&R time on Arcturus station, and was sitting in his room, or his cell as he thought of it, "I hate this place," he says as he looks at his now fixed arm, the wonders of modern medical technology.

"It can't be that bad," Jenkins says as he appears on the couch next to Maike, "I mean, you have warm food, a soft bed, the only thing that could make it better is if Saria was here," he says.

Maike chuckled, having gotten used to this figments random drop ins, "You don't know me very well," he says, although he knew that it probably knew him, better than he knew himself, it was his imagination that created him, too bad he couldn't undo it.

Jenkins smiles, "So you going to tell me what happened that first night?" he asks Maike, as he picks up the remote and turns on the TV.

Maike watches the action and raises his eyebrow, "I thought you were just a figment of my imagination, how did you turn on the TV?" he asks.

"I didn't," Jenkins says, "you did," he gestures to Maike's hand, and when he looked Maike saw that he had the remote in his hand.

"I'll be damned," he says as he looks at the ceiling, "anything else you can make me do?" he asks.

"I didn't make you do anything," Jenkins says as the door chimes, "looks like we have company," he says.

Maike moves to the door, ignoring Jenkins, and opens it, seeing Saria, "Hey," he says utterly shocked by her appearance.

Saria hugged Maike, "I've been so worried," she tells him as he hugs her back, "I wasn't able to get through to you, and the brass wouldn't let me know where you were."

Maike smiles, "That's odd," he says, "how did you find out?"

"James was able to figure it out," she answers, "he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he can get things done," she says.

Maike chuckles, "Vega does have his ways," he tells her, then kisses her.

"I think I'll give you some privacy," Jenkins says as he fades away.

Saria returns the kiss, then pulls away smiling, "I'm glad to see you haven't let recent events change you," she says before closing her eyes and frowning, "I heard what happened to Jenkins, and then followed by what happened you the crew,"

Maike had closed his eyes, he hadn't thought about it that much, did that make him a bad person? or was he just in denial of it all, he didn't know, and frankly he didn't care, "I try not to think about it," he tells her as he leads her to the couch, and sits down.

Saria sits down as well and holds Maike in her arms, "When I heard your ship crashed..." she says as she tears up, "then I heard that there was a survivor, I was sure it was you," she says as she let's tears of joy fall down her cheeks, "and sure enough when they said your name, I was so happy," she says.

Maike rests his head on her shoulder, feeling the familiar security he had whenever they got shore leave at the same time, forgetting about all the things that had happened to him, and happy that he got to see his love at least one more time, "I'm so sorry," he tells her.

Saria wipes the tears from her eyes, knowing that there was no reason to cry anymore, that her one and only love, was here, in the flesh, and alive, living and breathing, "Don't be," she says as she kisses his forehead, "you have nothing to be sorry for, and I know you did your best," she tells him.

Maike closes his eyes, and kisses her neck, "Thank you," he says, "I love you so much," he tells her, even though she already knows, but for some reason love didn't seem right, it seemed so small to him, something that even if he spent his entire life thinking of it, would never find the right word.

Saria pushes Maike to the couch and straddles him, putting her hands on his face as she kisses him, letting her tongue glide over his, as he wrapped his arms around her back, she pulls away smiling, "You're welcome," she says.

Maike pulls her into another kiss as he moves his hands down to her hips, and she moves hers to his shoulders, "I just want to stay like this," he says as he pulls away for some air, "with you, and forget about the world."

Saria smiles as she rests her head on his chest, "So do I," she says, "this is perfect, nothing could be better," she tells him.

Maike feels his eyelids become heavy, "Thank you," he says again before drifting to sleep in his loves embrace.

Saria stays quiet for a second, "You're welcome," she whispers as she falls asleep on his chest.

**1 week later, presidium. **

Maike had gotten another week of R&R and Saria was able to get some leave, so they chose to spend Maike's last day of leave on the presidium, despite what had happened a few weeks earlier, it looked relatively undamaged, and he had taken her to one of the areas that was practically untouched by the geth, and whatever it was that had destroyed his ship.

Saria wrapped her arm around Maike's and smiled as they looked at the horizon, "It looks beautiful," she says as she rests her head on his shoulder.

Maike closed his eyes, "It sure it," he says, "do you know what today is?" he asks her.

"How could I forget our anniversary?" Saria asks as she smiles. "I still can't believe we've been together for so long," she says.

Maike smiles as well as he opens his eyes, "Neither can I," he says, as he puts his hand inside of his pocket.

Saria kisses Maike on the cheek, "I know this is right," she tells him, "being with you makes everything better."

"Same here," Maike says, "I want to ask you something," he tells her.

"What is it?" Saria asks as she lifts her head off of his shoulder and looks at him.

Maike drops to one knee, and took out a small black box, "Saria Swillons," he says, "I love you with all of my heart, and want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side," he tells her, "so, I want to ask you, will you marry me?" he asks hopefully as he opens the box, showing a diamond ring.

Saria puts her hands to her mouth as she starts tearing up, she drops to her knees and hugs Maike kissing him on the cheek at least ten times, "Yes, yes, yes yes, a million times yes," she says.

Maike takes her hand and puts the ring on her finger, "I love you," he says as he hugs her.

Saria kisses him again, this time on the lips, and doesn't let go of him, "I love you too," she says as she pulls away from him, and stands up.

Maike stands up as well and holds her hands in his, and smiles, "We should announce our big news," he tells her.

Saria smiles, "Let's," she tells him as they start walking to the apartment they rented on the Citadel.

As soon as they enter their apartment, Saria's Omni-tool beeps, and Maike looks at her, "What is it?" he asks as she reads the message.

"I'm being reassigned to a different ship," Saria tells him, "I'm going to be on the Normandy," she says shocked.

Maike smiles, "Really?" he asks her, "That's what everyone's dream assignment, you get to be serve under Commander Shepard."

Saria nods, "I'm so excited," she says, "I leave tomorrow," she tells him, "I need to grab my things," she says as she runs to her room.

Maike sits on the couch, and Jenkins appears next to him, "Good job on finally manning up," he says.

Maike shakes his head, "You know when to come don't you?" he asks rhetorically, keeping his voice low so that Saria couldn't hear him.

"You'd be bored without me," Jenkins says as he smiles.

Maike laughs quietly, "Well it could have been worse," Maike says as he leans his head back, "it seems like so long ago," he says,

"I might not be needed anymore," Jenkins says, "you seem to be getting around pretty good," he tells Maike.

Maike chuckles, "I am," he says, "You were a great friend," he tells Jenkins, "goodbye," he says as Jenkins begins fades away, most likely for the last time,

"Goodbye good friend," Jenkins says.

**1 month later, Alliance frigate Silent Truth**

Maike had gotten off of his shift a few minutes ago and was heading to his room, most people on the ship chatted with him, but he wasn't really close to them, they weren't the crew from the Dragon's light, and he knew that, he tried to be friendly, but sometimes they would just irritate him, so he usually stayed cooped up in his room reading data-pads, or talking to Saria from time to time. He entered his room and saw sat on his bed, he kept his eyes closed as he thought of everything that's happened in his life, "Never thought I would be here," he says to himself as he opens them, he then hears his Omni-tool beep, "Saria," he says, smiling, as he sees she can have a video talk with him, he opens the video and says, "How are you babe?"

Saria smiles back from the screen, "I'm fine," she says, "just doing the regular stuff, we've been here a month, and still no geth," she sighs.

"Well that's a good thing," he tells her, "it means that you won't get killed, remember I need you to stay alive at least for the next few months," he says reminding her of the wedding they had planned, they had decided that it would take place back on earth, and would be in a quiet place with only close friends, Maike had been able to get Vega to get shore leave then and come to help them, then asked him to be his best man, though Vega was hesitant he eventually agreed, but he said that Jenkins was supposed to have that honor, not him.

Saria laughs, "I know," she tells Maike, "I don't plan on dying anytime soon, I want to spend my golden years with you," she tells him.

Maike was about to respond when an alert from Saria's side came, "What's happening?" he asks worried.

"I don't know," Saria says as a yellow beam cuts right through the ship behind her, and the screen goes to static.

"Saria!" Maik shouts at the screen then opens a comm to the captain of the ship, "Sir the Normandy has just been attacked," he says in a calm voice, betraying his feelings, "As we are in the same cluster I suggest we offer assistance."

"Their rescue beacon just went up over Alcheria," the captain responds in her asian accent, "get to the bridge, and get ready for anything,"

"Yes ma'am" Maike says as he makes his way to the bridge and when he gets there he sees they are already on their way, "I'm coming Saria," he says as he gets to his station.

Saria had gotten away from the beam and was getting a breather mask on so she wouldn't suffocate in the middle of the depressurized ship, then ran out of the crew quarters to see Shepard by the sleeper pods, but ignored her as she ran towards the escape pods.

Hearing the Asari in front of her yelling "Get in!" At the last escape pods, she was almost there when an explosion went off next to her throwing her across the ship and burning most the left side of her body and her mask was shattered.

She felt like just laying there and dying, closing her eyes she thought about Maike and opened her eyes, "I have to live," she says to herself as she gets up and limps to the last available escape pod and gets in.

She sees that it is empty except for her and that no one else was coming she presses the button to launch it into space.

Maike sees the wreckage of the Normandy falling through the atmosphere of Alcheria as the Silent Truth exits FTL, and all he can say is, "please be all right,"

The captain looks at Maike briefly and notices his concern, "Mr. Ariasu," she says, "you seem troubled," she comments as he looks at her.

"My fiancé is on the Normandy," he tells the captain, "it won't affect my judgement, but I do worry."

"I understand," the captain responds as she looks at the nearby escape pods that are floating through space,

"We should start with rescue operations," Maike suggests hoping that Saria was on one of the escape pods.

"Bring the ship about and tell the space walkers to prepare for retrieval operations," Captain Suzuki orders to which one of the bridge operators complies with a nod to tell the captain that they were following their duties.

the pilot pulled the frigate around so that they could easily collect the pods, meanwhile the space walker unit was preparing for rescue operations. When they were ready they entered the hanger bay and activated their mag boots, putting them secure to the hanger floor, "We are ready," the leader says, to which the captain orders the doors to be open as soon as the hanger bay is cleared of personnel without enviro-suits to protect them from the vacuum of space .

The doors opened to the scene of destruction that was once the Normandy, and the Space walkers watched it for a few seconds before attaching their safety lines to the ship and launching in the direction of the pods, "Commence rescue operations," the leader says as the reach the first pod, and scans for survivors, seeing a full pod, he prioritized it and jumped to the next one, while someone else hooked their line to the escape pod, and was pulled back to the Silent Truth, as soon as it was inside a mass effect field came up around the pod allowing for the occupants to get out.

The walker banged on the side of the pod, telling the survivors to get out, to which they did, he saw that there was a krogan, inside of the pod, "Please put breather masks on so I can take you through the hanger airlocks," he tells all of them. After they finish putting the breathers on he leads them to the hanger airlock and takes them through one at a time.

Maike stood on the otherwise of the airlock and records every survivor with a manifest given to them by alliance command, "Where are you Saria?" He asks himself.

The space walker's leader had gotten almost every pod that had survivors in it, and was coming up to the last pod that he hadn't checked, he opened the scanner on his Omni-tool and scanned the pod, one lifesign, it told him, critically injured, the walker had unlatched his line and latched it onto the pod, and took it back to the ship, as soon as he entered the hanger he made sure all of his men were inside before closing the door and pressurizing the hanger

As soon as Maike heard the doors in the hanger close, he ran in to see if he could find Saria, "Where are you?" He asks quietly when he doesn't see her. Maike the sees an unopened escape pod in the middle of the hanger and runs to it, "Commander," he says, "How many are in there?" He asks him with a hopeful demeanor,

"One person critically injured," he tells Maike, all but crushing his hopes.

"Get a medical team," Maike orders calmly as h moves to the pod and opens it, seeing Saria badly burned, and bleeding profusely from multiple incisions on her face from her shattered breather mask. Maike unbuckles her from the seat and carefully pulls her unconscious body out from the escape pod.

Saria stirs as Maike lays her on the ground, she opens her one good eye, and smiles at him with a broken smile, "Hey babe," she says in a weak voice, "how are you?"

Maike smiles as best as he can, holding back tears when he answers, "I'm fine, but don't talk, save your strength," he tells her as he puts a hand t the right side of her face.

Saria coughs a little, and spits up blood, both of them know that it is never good when that happens, "How do I look?" She asks Maike as she starts lose the feeling in the left side of her body. She poems and closes her fist, trying to feel the pain, but it was all in vain.

Maike closed his eyes has he brought her hand to his lips, "You look absolutely stunning," he tells her as he kisses her hand, "as always my love."

Saria smiles,"Thanks honey," she tells him and she starts to cry a little, "I'm so sorry,"

Maike opens his eyes confused, "Why?" he asked her but he has a feeling he knows why and the look in her eyes was all he needed to confirm his fears.

"I won't make it to our wedding," Saria tells Maike, "I'm so sorry," he tells him again as she tightens her grip on his hand.

Maike shakes his head, "don't talk like that," he tells her as he feels a few tears come through his eyes.

Saria tightens her grip around Maike's hands, "I love you Maike Ariasu," she tells her fiancé, "I always will," she closes her eyes.

Maike holds her hand close to his lips, "I can't lose you," he tells her as he starts crying, something that was completely new for him, he had never cried once in his life, always being strong and cold. It was the people like Jenkins and Saria that made this possible, always there for him, they were his family, and now they were gone. Saria was the last one, now she was leaving him as well.

Saria smiles one last time, "be strong my love," she tells him as her grip on his hand loosens, "for both of us."

.

Maike watches as her head falls to the side, and cradles her body in his arms, and screams out. The entire hanger bay is silent and remains that way for what feels lie hours, only disturbed by the medical team running in just moments too late to save the woman in Maike's arms.

**4 months later a bar in the shadier parts of the Citadel**

Maike had spent a majority of his leave inside of the bar that he was sitting in, only getting up to take a piss, or beat some poor sap that had interrupted his sorrows, until a rather large pair of hands grabbed him, "That is enough demente," he hears a thick Hispanic accent say, as he was dragged out of the bar.

"Let me go Vega!" Maike shouts as he struggles to break the barbarian's hold.

Vega throws Maike to the ground in some trash that was sitting on the floor, "What are you doing?" Vega asks him as he smells the amount of alcohol on Maike, "Is this what you've become?"

Maike gets up but falls back to the floor, and vomits on the ground, he looks up, "Yes Vega," he says as he tries to get up again, needing to lean on the nearby wall for support, "this is exactly what I've become," and you better leave me alone."

Vega sneers at Maike, "You are so much better than this," he tells him, "you were a man worthy of Sar—" he starts before getting interrupted.

"Don't say her name!" Maike shouts, "you don't understand this pain!"

James grabs Maike by the collar and pushes him against the wall, "Don't pull the grieving crap on me Maike," he threatens quietly, "you are doing far worse than just in pain, so what are you doing?" He asks.

Maike spits on James, "did you forget what today was supposed to be?" he asks him as he knees him in the stomach, and punches him in the face.

James rubs his jaw as he staggers back, "Shit..." he says as he realizes what the day was, "Your wedding day," he then understands why Maike was so hell bet on drinking himself to death.

"Yes Vega," Maike sneers, "my fucking wedding day."

Vega looks down at the ground and sighs, "Fine," he tells Maike, "you can drown yourself, but don't fall further than you already have," he walks off , and hangs his head, knowing that the death of Saria was what finally threw him over the edge.

Maike stumbled back into the bar and began drinking again until a man in a suit appeared next to him, "Mr. Ariasu?" He questions as he sits down at the bar.

"Fuck you," Maike says as he continues drinking.

The man stares blankly at Maike before he says what he came to say, "My employer would like to offer you a job," he keeps his business demeanor when Maike looks at him like he is crazy.

"Why should I work for you?" He asks the man.

"We are aware of your fiance's recent death," the man says, "my employer is confident that the ones responsible are working for higher powers, the same that the late Commander Shepard was warning us about."

Maike stopped drinking, "You are going after them?" Maike asks as he is now considering the man's offer.

"We will," the man tells Maike, "but now isn't the proper time, we are offering you a job, we have seen your record, unparadox way of thinking, it is what we need in our ranks."

"what's the catch?" Maike asks suspiciously

"My employer would like for you to resign from the alliance," The man tells Maike, "I will let you think about it."

Maike watched as the man walked away from the bar, "Shit..." he says as he considers the offer, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

**Three days later,**

Maike was walking towards an unmarked shuttle, when he saw the man who had offered him his new job, "I am very glad that you decided to take my offer Maike," he says as he opens the door to the shuttle.

Maike looks at the man and nods, "I took the job, so now will you tell me who I am working for?" he questions as he stepped inside of the shuttle. The first thing that he notices is that there is a strange symbol on this side of the door, it looked familiar to him and he try to remember where he had seen it before. Then it hit him, the Insignia belong to Cerberus. Maike's eyes widen as he realized who he now work for.

the man smiled as he saw Maike's eyes widen, "You already know who you work for I take it?

Maike shakes his head, he accepted the job so now he works for Cerberus, "I know," he says as the looks of the man, "and I will work with anyone or for anyone in order to get back at the bastards who killed Saria."

the man smiles at Maike, "That is what we like to hear, I'm sure you'll fit in right at home with us."

Maike sit in silence as the shuttle takes off, taking him to his next destination, his next mission. He would avenge Saria if it was the last thing he did**.**

**1 year 6 months later,**

Maike was analyzing data that he had collected from one of the colonies that has been abducted by unknown contact. He was certain they were the same things that attacked the Normandy and killed his fiance over year ago. Maike heard the door was open and looked in the direction offset door, he saw that the man who had recruited in near nearly a year and a half ago, he had since then learned that his name was Alexander.

Alexander looked at Maike, "Have you finished looking at the data yet?" he asks, then looks at the console that Maike was standing over.

Maike looked back at the data, it was the same as all the other day he had been given about the disappearing colonies if planted to a race that hasn't been seen very often outside terminus space, but it wasn't conclusive, and he couldn't prove it was them, "Just now," he tells Alexander, "it is the same as the rest, I suspect the collectors, but there is nothing proving it was them."

"I shall tell the illusive man," Alexander says, as he turns to walk off.

Maike had noticed something odd about Alexander over the past few months, mainly when over the time that they had been investigating the disappearing colonies, but until now had just put it to them being in ghost towns, with nothing there, he turned back and said, "you all right?" He asked Alexander.

Alexander turned around and immediately became aggressive, "I'm fine, now mind your own famed business," he growled, which sent red flags up in Maike's mind. Alexander turned to stalk off again.

Maike moved swiftly and grabbed Alexander's arm, "You didn't have to growl at me," he says in a semi-calm voice.

Alexander pulled his arm away roughly and glared at Maike, "Mind your own business," he says as he continues to walk off.

Maike waits a few minutes before following him, he shut off his console remotely from his Omni-tool, and noticed that Alexander was heading into a wing of the facility that wasn't used by anyone. Maike notices that Alexander stopped at a door that would lead to a unmonitored space, "What are you doing?" He asks himself.

Alexander opened the door to the room in front of him and entered, he then closed and locked the door behind him.

Maike moved to the door silently, and activated the optic cable function on his Omni-tool, he then placed it under the door, and watched what Alexander was doing.

Alexander moved to a console that wasn't supposed to be in the room and activated it. When the hologram came on, it was the red form of a reaper, "Why have you contacted us?" It asks in its booming voice.

"Great Harbinger," the man says to the reaper, "One of us is getting closer to the truth," Alexander says as he kneels down, "and he is hell bent on destroying your agents, and you to get his revenge."

Harbinger's image flickers indicating annoyance, "If he will not join us, then he shall be destroyed," it tells Alexander, "do what needs to be done."

Alexander stands up, "As you wish master," he says as the image flickers out, and the transmission ends. Alexander turns towards the door and notices the Omni-cable sticking out from underneath, "Damn you," he says as the cable retracts.

Maike stands up and draws his sidearm, "Alexander, get out here!" He shouts, aiming at the door.

Alexander steps out of the room with his hands up, "you don't have to do this, you can serve us and we can survive," he offers.

Maike keeps his gaze steady as he aims at Alexander's head, "Fuck you," Maike says as he pulls the trigger, but the bullet doesn't hit Alexander, and Maike feels his body hit the floor "What?" he asks as he feels Alexander left him by the neck and pin him to a wall.

"I offered you a way out," Alexander tells Maike as he squeezes the life out of Maike.

Maike kicked Alexander in the groin, and drops to the floor as the man crumples to the floor in pain, "And I said 'fuck you'" he coughs out as he looks for his gun.

Alexander stands up, and leans on the wall, "cheap shot," he says as he walks over to Maike.

Maike finds his gun and picks it up, only to have Alexander's foot kick it out of his hand, and then kick him in the face, "You are a son of a bitch," Maike says as he looks up at Alexander from the floor.

Alexander puts is foot to Maike's throat, "At least I'm not you," he says as he puts pressure on his foot.

Maike gags for air as he activates the Omni-blade on his Omni-tool, and cuts Alexander's leg clean off, "Still wish you weren't me?" Maike asks as blood flys all over him and the floor, while Alex falls down to the floor.

Alexander screams in pain as he grabs his leg, which causes some security patrols to come running, "What happened?" One of the patrols ask as they raise their weapons at Maike who was now sitting up against a wall.

"This man was a mole for the reapers," Maike says after a deep bbreath, then stands up and poems his Omni-tool to play the recording of the conversation that Alex had with Harbinger, but instead of getting a video he got static, "You son of a bitch!" Maike shouts as he kicks Alexander in the leg.

Alexander laughs, "You've lost Maike," he says.

Maike moves over to his gun and aimed at Alexander's head, "Fuck you," he says as he pulls the trigger and Alexander's body goes limp with his third eye.

**One month later,**

Maike had become the lead investigator into the disappearing colonies in place of Alexander, but was still finding nothing to prove that then collectors were agents of the reapers, but knew that the reapers were somehow behind it, he couldn't place his finger on what it was but there was something there, he had heard rumors about another Cerberus cell, called "lazarus" supposedly it was suppose to bring the late Commander Shepard back to life, if that was true then he would get what he wanted, but he didn't it any faith into the rumors, and just kept an eye on his work, with his new assistant investigator Samantha Bennings, "Have you come across anything?" He asks as they go through another empty colony.

"Negative," Samantha answers, "the same as the others, I wish we could have gotten here first," she says.

"We'll get it next time," Maike says, "just get back to the shuttle, we're done here," he orders.

"Yes sir," Sami says as begins walking to the shuttle.

Maike meets her there but doesn't say anything as they get in the shuttle, and leave the ghost colony.


	13. Russell Tripp 2: Voluntold

**Russell Tripp 2: Voluntold**

**Written and submitted by thebluninja**

Russell stood at attention, full Alliance dress uniform creased to within an inch of its life, medals gleaming brightly. He flexed his knees slightly, standing between six other people. "Listen up, folks," Master Chief Torres said. "The ceremony is in one hour. You'll have about twenty minutes to use the bathroom and rest your legs before we form up to escort the Captain out for the ceremony." He nodded gravely. "You all got picked due to your outstanding service records, and you're stepping out there not just to represent the best the _SSV Orizaba_ has, but the best the _Alliance_ has to offer. Dismissed."

Russell stood there for several seconds, just taking deep breaths, before opening his eyes and moving off to the head. They had a couple of carefully spotless chairs to sit on, and he sat down next to the only other petty officer in the room. "Nervous?" the petite redhead asked him.

"Heh. A little bit," he answered, taking a quick sip of water. "Russell Tripp, fighter electrician."

"Alecia Register, communications." They shook hands briefly. "I got picked for this because I managed to decipher some pirate encryption. You?"

"Repelled boarders with a soldering unit." She raised an eyebrow, and he sketched a cross over his heart. "Swear to God. Then managed to look good by volunteering to be a tour guide of the _Hawking_ while we did that whole goodwill tour." Alecia snickered at him. "Knowing the 'children' you're escorting around are the same age you are was … interesting."

"That sounds cool. I spent my first tour on a frigate, patrolling with Fifth Fleet. Lots of boring, interspersed with occasional moments of sheer terror." They both fell silent for a second as the door opened, but it was only one of the chiefs on the honor guard with them. "Same for you?"

"Pretty much. Long hours fixing, or straight-up fabricating, fighter components so the team lead could install them." He shrugged. "What do you do off-duty?"

"I, um, do roleplaying games in my off hours." She flushed crimson.

"Cool, like _Galaxy of Fantasy_ stuff, or are you actually old-school enough to own dice?" As far as Russell was concerned, this was a stroke of luck, he'd only been on board a month and hadn't been able to find anyone else with enough geek cred to hang out with.

She gaped at him, but her response was cut off by Master Chief Torres stepping inside the door and calling, "Attention on _deck_!" They both shot to their feet, the water bottle nearly tumbling to the floor, as he escorted in Hannah Shepard. The woman, their XO, looked … _ragged_ was the only word that came to Russell's mind as they formed up. The officers were wearing gloves, to fold the flag, and the rifle bearers were already outside waiting, six Spectres from every race available plus an N7 operative from the Alliance. "Forward … _march_!"

Eyes straight ahead, he marched out into the artificial light of the Presidium, honor guard for the mother of humanity's greatest hero.

The ceremony itself went by in a bit of a blur, lots of long speeches while they stood at parade rest, but his back was straight as he took the rails of the coffin, walking at a calm and measured pace as they carried the coffin out. Russell couldn't stop his eyes from tracking sideways to the gorgeous young asari holding the flag, standing next to his XO. _Shepard was banging an asari?_ Unbidden, the mental image of the two of them _in flagrante delicto_ came to mind, and he was quite glad the tailoring on his dress uniform hid his reaction. He wasn't exactly religious, unlike his mom, but if Hell existed there was probably a special place for people who were thinking lavicious thoughts about the dearly departed.

The coffin was put down in a special room prepared for the occasion, where a select list of Shepard's closest associates could pay their last respects in private. Personally, Russell was just as glad to get out of there. He ducked outside, the rest of the honor guard beating him out the door by mere moments. "That was … weirdly intense," Register said from beside him. "You make any plans for liberty?"

"Not until tomorrow, no," he replied somewhat absently. "I didn't know how long this ceremony was going to last, and there's supposed to be some big memorial wake going on across half the Presidium."

"I don't blame them, have you seen the vids?" she asked, moving in his wake as he politely moved through the crowd. With no warning at all, a sudden spotlight was glaring in his face. "Whoa, what the hell?"

"Khalisah al-Jilani, Westunderland News. How do you feel at being picked as honor guard for humanity's greatest heroes? Does the presence of so many aliens, including the one claiming her mother's flag, show disrespect to the Alliance?" The three sentences were belted out so fast he had to actually stop and translate them in his head.

"Great, and no," he said shortly, smiling blandly at the annoying reporter as she waited for him to continue. Sighing, he closed his eyes for a moment, running over the stupid boilerplate the _Orizaba_'s public affairs officer had made them all memorize. "Being chosen for Commander Shepard's honor guard was an incredible honor." Register had chimed in on the second word, belting it out in unison with him, if quieter. "Her service reflected credit and displayed the best the Alliance has to offer. Today's ceremony was a sincere display of the respect the galactic community has for Commander Shepard, and the rest of the Alliance, and is another important sign of our acceptance into the galactic community."

Disgusted, Khalisah just glared at them for a moment before switching off the camera. "Tell your PAO if I ever catch him I'm dumping a drink down his shirt," she grumbled, and stormed off, probably to go kick puppies or bite off bat heads or something.

"Personally, I think your first monosyllables were better," Register piped up as they kept walking. "Straight to the point, honest, and almost impossible to spin."

Russell just shook his head. "What I really wanted to do," he paused at a merchant stand, opened on one of the park spaces caught his eye, and detoured over to it, "was find something like this." He browsed the display for a moment, picking up what he thought was a turian gladius. "Then hold it up, and blurt out something suitably geeky, like, 'This is a standard short sword, it does d8 damage with double damage on a crit. How many HP does your camera have?'" He held up the sword in a vid-standard badass pose.

She burst out laughing at him, and he lowered the sword, carefully placing it back on the table. "You look _ridiculous_ doing that in dress blues!" she squeaked out between laughs. He flushed, and shrugged.

"Are you talking about that reporter bitch, the dark-haired one?" the merchant piped up. "I don't blame you, though personally, I thought about saying something similar with this." He patted the pistol clipped to his belt. "She was trying to rag on me for cheapening Shepard's memory, or something, by selling knives and pistol grip mods with stylized Alliance markings." He held up a folding knife with a laser-etched sparkling split-chevron-and-stars logo.

"That's … actually pretty cool," Russell said as he looked at the knife. He and Register spent the next twenty minutes bartering with the man, and making various geeky references to each other, before he finally walked away, three knives richer and two hundred credits poorer.

"So, what are you going to do with those?" she asked as they ducked into a café. The place was half-filled with asari, but spotting their Alliance blues, the barkeeper waved them over to a small table near the back, just vacated.

"Well, I was planning to send one home to my mom," he muttered, sitting down and pulling up the holo menu on the table.

She frowned at him, brows scrunched up in perplexity. "Isn't that, like, a bad sign? Like you're trying to cut ties with the person?" She tapped her own order into the menu while he did the same.

"Yep," he said simply. When she started to glare at him, he grinned. "I thought you liked my monosyllabic answers."

"Only when they're aimed at nosy busybodies with a camera," she sniped.

Russell sighed. "I got a letter from my mom two days ago. Not an e-mail, an actual, honest-to-god hand-written-on-paper letter." Alecia whistled appreciatively. "Yeah. Cost her seventy fucking credits to mail it to me. Know what it said?" She hesitated, unsure of how to answer, but he kept rolling along, voice thick with disgust. "'Oh Russell, you need to get out of the Alliance and come home. You'll get _contaminated_ out there with all those aliens, you should come back to a _real_ planet and find a _real_ woman and give me hordes of grandbabies.'" He paused, scrubbing a hand over his mouth. "I'm summarizing, of course, because she went on for _five pages_."

"Wow," she said sympathetically, "no wonder you joined the Alliance."

He sighed, looking away, and catching a few angry looks from other customers who overheard him. "Exactly. My mom hasn't left the city I was born in for more than a week since before I was born. She goes to the same ratty church she's attended since she started dating my dad, and basically acts like the universe should have stopped progressing and remained the same way it was in 2140 when she was a kid." He dropped his face into his hands, forcing himself to take several deep breaths. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to rant on like this at you, and everyone else in hearing range," he added humorously.

"Nah, it's ok. My brother's a big Terra Firma supporter, but he's always been an idiot," Alecia said.

He nodded, and looked up as an asari waitress brought them their orders. "Drinks are free," she told them, "paid for by that guy," she gestured to a nearby table with a human guy and an asari and a pair of asari children, obviously at least dating but probably married. _Huh, that guy looks kind familiar_, Russell thought, _but I can't place the face_. They both turned, raising their drinks in salute and nodding politely, receiving the same in return.

"Alright, before we both end up drunk and pissed off at our family, let's switch conversation topics," Alecia said. "Why wouldn't you think to threaten that reporter with 'Your GP or your HP?' It's much catchier." She grinned impishly, waving around her fork menacingly. Their laughter echoed through the café, a reaffirmation of life in the face of death.


	14. David Goodman 2: The Goodman Life

**David Goodman 2: T****he Goodman Life**

**Written and submitted by Full-Paragon**

"Honey, where's my tie?" David called, rifling through his luggage.

"It's on the desk sweetie, where you left it."

Glancing up, David found the tie dangling right in front of his face. "Oh, thanks."

"Mmhmm. What's Dora doing?"

Quickly putting on the tie, David frantically searched for his youngest daughter, finding her in the bathroom with Citti. Trying to get into their mother's makeup. "GIRLS!"

The both glanced up and smiled at him guiltily. "We were just looking dad." Citti explained. She was 27 now, and while a human that old might be a full grown adult, Citti was closer to 9 or 10. It was crazy to David, in the past 15 years, his daughter had only grown what to him was five, while he had gone from being a young man to middle aged. Dora 12, almost 13, but she was about the same age that Citti had been when David first became her teacher.

As David washed the girls off, Delana came in, carrying her purse and David's wallet. She kissed him gently on the cheek as she stuffed it into his jacket pocket. "Ready to go to the funeral?"

"Ready as I'll ever be with these two blueberries." David answered, scooping his daughters up with his biotics. They giggled, then David had to set them down. While having biotics was nice, David's were fairly weak, which was a good thing as far as he was concerned. If they had been strong, he likely would have been 'recruited' by the Alliance, and he had little desire to spend his life flying from one planet to another.

They made their way out of the hotel room, each parent keeping a firm grip on a child. David got Citti, and Delana got Nora. The Citadel was a nightmare for a parent of a young child, with millions of beings coming and going all day, and more than a few of them perfectly willing to kidnap a child. David was halfway regretting not taking the pistol Akkar had offered him, especially after seeing more than a few frightening looking individuals, including a krogan with a red head plate and a frightening looking scar over one eye. After what seemed like miles of walking, the Goodman's finally got to the elevator to the Presidium.

"Still can't believe she's dead," David sighed, squeezing Citti's hand as the elevator started up. "Never thought the Hero of the Citadel would get taken out on patrol."

Delana nodded, taking a moment to wipe a smear of something off Dora's mouth. "And poor Liara! First her mother, now her bondmate, you have to feel bad for her."

"Dr. T'soni is nice, is she going to be there?" Citti asked.

David nodded. "Yes, we're going to a memorial party she's hosting afterwards. You can say hi to her there."

"Oh boy! Do you think she found more prothean stuff? The stuff she showed us last time was really cool!"

"Why did Shepard die?" Dora asked, making a face as her mother finished cleaning her dress.

"She was a soldier. She was very brave, and saved the Citadel. Even if the Council and Destiny Ascension we're lost, she was still a hero." Delana explained. "We're going to honor her sacrifice."

"Oh, OK. Can I have another juice daddy?"

David was about to say yes, when Del gave him a look. David grinned sheepishly, he was a sucker for both his daughters, and his wife knew it. The only time he was ever able to be strict was when he was in the classroom, that was different for some reason. Thankfully, Citti was still as sweet and quiet as ever, and didn't try to take advantage of her teacher cum father. Dora was a completely different story, and new full well that if she batted her eyelashes and asked nicely, there wasn't much she couldn't get from dad. Which meant that David did his best not to say yes until AFTER he asked Del, who wasn't having any of what Dora was selling.

"You just had a juice Dora." Delana told her daughter. "If you have another, you'll have to go halfway through the funeral."

"But mom..."

"Don't but your mother, Dora." David interjected. Dora made a pouty face, but seemed to sense she wasn't going to get anywhere with her demands and fell silent.

At long last, the elevator doors opened and they stepped out onto the Presidium. It was still under construction and quite a bit of battle damage was visible, but there was a large crowd gathered for the funeral. Most of them were humans, but various aliens were scattered throughout as well. David stood in line with his family for hours to see the casket, spending most of that time holding Dora. It was closed, naturally, as Shepard's body had never been recovered. Even if it had, deaths in space didn't lend themselves toward bodies anyone would way to see.

"We waited for a box? What's in it." Dora asked sleepily.

"Just a memory, now. Go bad to sleep kiddo."

Finally, it was time for the speeches. The Goodman's had ended up toward the back, having been forced to make an emergency potty break for their daughters. They were pretty much what David had expected, and he spent most of them providing his girls with toys and coloring books. They had lost interest a long time ago, and frankly, so had David. He did over hear some punk kid complaining that life wasn't fair, and gave him a piece of his mind. If life was fair, Shepard would still have been alive. Hadn't the galaxy already lost enough?

After that, they stopped at a restaurant for snacks. David spotted a group of Alliance personal, and was shocked to recognize a service technician of some sort that had given his class a tour of a ship a few years back. Waving to the waitress, David ordered a round of drinks for the technician and his friends.

"Don't you think we've spent enough this trip?" Del murmured as their daughters played with the cheap toys that had come with their meals.

David shrugged and grinned at her. "Hey, got to support our troops don't we?"

"You do remember you surrendered your Alliance Citizenship don't you?"

"Oh, well, I'm still human, right?"

"Whatever you say dear."

Once they were finished, it was off to the wake. . "We're just going to say 'Sorry for your loss' to Dr. T'soni and move on, right girls?" Delana asked the girls for what had to be the fifth time.

"Yes mom." They chorused, and David glanced at his wife.

"You think they were listening?"

"Not a chance."

They made their way inside the hotel, showing the door guard their invitations. Liara was standing with a tired looking turian, greeting guests as they came in. Before David or Delana could stop her, Dora ran forward and slammed into Liara's leg, hugging the doctor tightly.

"I'm sorry for your loss!" Dora bawled, sobbing into what had to be an expensive suit. The whole line stopped, and David felt his face light on fire as he rushed forward and gently detached his still crying daughter.

"I apologize, Dr. T'soni. She's had a long day, and she was very upset when Shepard died." David apologized.

Liara smiled and put a hand on Dora's shoulder. "No, it's alright. Mr. Goodman, isn't it? It was your class I presented my findings on Mycothian Era prothean relics to at my old school, wasn't it."

"Yes, it was, my daughter, Citti really enjoyed that, as did the rest of the students."

Citti stepped forward with Delana and nodded. "Yes, thank you for teaching us about the protheans Dr. T'soni. I was really sad when Shepard died, she was a human, and my dad is a human, and he's really nice and takes good care of me. I bet Shepard was really nice to you too."

Tears leaked out of Liara's eyes, and the turian put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Mr. Goodman, and your daughters. Shepard meant a lot to all of us."

After that, the girls didn't last long, and David and Delana took them back to the hotel room. They tucked their daughters in, and lay on their bed together, exhausted from the long day.

"Quite the day, wasn't it?" Del murmured as she lay her head on David's shoulder.

"Yeah. Hopefully this day will be one our daughters remember, a time when we were all together. I don't know what the future holds for them, but I know it doesn't hold that much more of me."

Del tensed in David's arms, and rolled on top of him to look him in the face. "Don't talk like that."

"Why? You know it's true. I'm no salarian, but think about it Del. I've bout about another 70 or so years left in me. By then, Dora won't even be grown up, and Citti will still be in university. After today..."

"Hush. You're not going to just up and die on our daughters, or me. You've got most of your life ahead of you, you're young yet."

"I'm young now, but what about in another 15 years? 30? How long can I have compared to you or them Del?"

"We talked about this. You know asari choose their mates knowing you don't live as long as we do. We have to live for the here, now. I can still feel you, and you can still feel me. Do you want to waste this time?"

At that point, Del adjusted her position in such a way that reminded David just what a wonderful woman he had married. They had to be quiet, and there was more than a bit of guilty pleasure knowing their daughters were not 20 feet away, but it was good to be alive.

When they finished, Del rolled off panting, and David put his head on her heaving breasts.

"Do you want another daughter?"

The question shocked David, asari tended to have rather long times between their children, usually at least 30 or so years. He raised himself up on his elbows to get a good look at his wife. She looked serious, in fact, she looked almost pleading.

"Why do you ask?"

"You're not the only one who worries about time. I'm still pretty young, in fact, relatively speaking, I'm younger then you now. But I can't imagine a mate I would rather have with me to raise my children. You're so wonderful with the girls, even if you do let Dora wrap you around her little finger. You're always there for them, always have time for them. When you were to go hunting with Akkar and Grumbar, you had everything packed up and ready to go, even had that new gun I bought you for Athame's Day. But Citti was sick, and I was so pregnant I could hardly move, not to mention a little ill myself. Instead of going out with your friends, you stayed home with a girl who was leaking at both ends and cared for your wife."

"But that's just the right thing to do," David protested. "You're more important than any quiil'na hunt. Both of you."

"And how many other bondmates back home do you think would have done that?"

"Um, Grumbar, if Ithina asked."

"That's because Grumbar does EVERYTHING Ithina asks, but rarely volunteers anything. You volunteer. You would rather spend a night home with the girls cooking and singing those ridiculous songs you find then go out drinking, or shooting, or just about anything. I find myself wondering sometimes if I could ever bond with anyone after you."

"Hey, now don't talk like that. You'll find someone, a nice turian or maybe even another human. You're only 368. You've got a long life ahead of you."

Delana sighed and laid back down. "I know. But you're my first, really." That prompted a raised eyebrow from David. "Oh, I know you were a virgin when we were married, despite Akkar and Grumbar's best efforts, yes, I knew about that 'bachelor party,' and especially my own, but I certainly wasn't. But before you, aside from Citti's father I was never in any relationships that lasted longer than a fling. And she didn't stick around for very long. But you David... I don't have to wonder if you've run off. I don't have to worry that you'll find someone more attractive, or richer, or-"

"Hey now," David interrupted, "There isn't anybody more attractive then you."

"You flatter me, but you know what I mean. You didn't even glance at any of the human women at the wake tonight, and I have it on good authority that many of them were rather underdressed and attractive."

"I did too look at them!" David protested. Now it was Del's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Name one really attractive female we saw tonight. I know I can."

That stumped David. While he did notice attractive woman, human and asari, thank you very much, it was more just background noise to him. He wracked his brains, but most of his memories of the night were of carrying Dora or entertaining Citti. He did remember one human woman at the wake though, chatting up some turian dignitary with a Champaign glass. Mostly, he remembered her because she had smiled at him when Dora started snoring. "Um, that blonde, in the black dress." He managed.

"She was pretty cute. But which breast was her mole on?"

"Huh?"

"Which breast was the mole on? I can tell you, that's for sure."

Wracking his mind for where the mole had been, David came up dry and hazarded, "The left?"

In reply, Del kissed him on the cheek then rolled over. "Goodnight. We'll talk about having another one in the morning."

"Oh come, on, was I right? It was the left breast, right?"

"Trick question. There was no mole. Sleep well."

Groaning, David lay back. A man was not supposed to be out classed by his wife in the bird watching business. Granted, Del wasn't human, and her tastes seemed to include humans of both sexes and asari, but that didn't mean she should be able to spot the hot chicks better then David could.

"Man, I hope Akkar doesn't get wind of this, otherwise I'm going to lose my man card."

"Akkar is a woman, David, go to sleep."

The next day it was time to leave the Citadel. The family made sure to stop at every tourist trap and pick up what even David had to admit was a ridiculous number of stuffed toys for Dora and Citti, but Del seemed to be in a rather good mood, and darn it, the girls were just too cute in their traveling dresses. David had ordered a yellow and pink Hello Kitty (would that brand ever die?) ensemble for Dora, and when she made her puppy dog eyes at him with that sickeningly cute cat staring at him, his wallet just flopped open.

They managed to make it onto the shuttle with David's retirement fund intact, and even Del had to admit that the number of toys was a boon when they had an eight hour flight ahead of them. Eventually, the girls managed to take a nap, covered in stuffed Avina's and keepers.

"So, about what I asked you last night." Delana murmured as they couple took a moment to snuggle in exhaustion.

"That was totally unfair. It's was a False Dilemma fallacy and you should know better than to trick your poor husband like that. Honestly, I should be the one ogling breasts, not you."

"Then what, pray tell, are you doing right now?"

David averted his eyes, which had been happily peaking down Del's blouse. She wasn't even looking!

"Anyway, that wasn't what I was talking about."

It took a moment for David to catch on, then he nodded. "Oh, right, another kid."

"We have enough money, if you can curtail anymore spending operations like this trip has been."

"That's not what I'm worried about, the money always takes care of itself. What about you? Asari usually wait a lot longer to have another one, and we've already got two."

"That's beating around the bush, to borrow one of your species idioms."

"Well..."

"Look dear, ultimately, I'm the one who chooses. I'm not like a human woman, it won't be an accident if I get pregnant, and you will definitely know when it happens."

"Considering the last time was the best three hours of my life, how could I not?"

"So you do want another."

"Well, I at least want the sex. That was even better then a regular melding."

"Be serious."

"I'm trying! Look, if we have another, how old will she be when I kick the bucket? Seventy? Eighty? And you know I'll spend the last two decades or so mostly useless, if I make it as far as twelve decades."

"She'll be old enough to know you loved her."

That one hit David pretty hard, and he could tell Del had aimed the comment to make sure it struck home. "Yeah, I guess."

"Look, Citti already considers you her father, and has since almost before we bonded. Dora thinks you're Athame's gift to the world. And I already told you I can't imagine a better partner for raising children. And I know part of you wants another one, if for no other reason than the way you reacted when you got to hold Ti'gunu's new baby."

"They are pretty cute at that stage."

"So why do you hesitate?"

For a few minutes, David just sat there, thinking. He wasn't slow or stupid by any stretch of the imagination, Del wouldn't have put up with him if he was, he just liked to have time to think things through. He had thought about applying to teach on Thessia for quite a while before he had even looked into it, and he had spent more than a few sleepless nights before he decided to propose to Delana. But when David did come to a conclusion, he acted.

"It's because ultimately, I worry that I'm being selfish. Because I'm afraid that I'll see my children as nothing but a legacy to leave, a mark on the world that will endure far longer then I will. I suppose every parent see's their kids that way, but it's no stretch to say that Dora might well be around a thousand years after I'm dead. Not to mention the burden that puts on you if God forbid something happens to me. Asari kids are a lot more responsibility then human ones."

"David, you do realize I was a single parent for almost decade before I met you?"

"But you were not the single parent of my kid. I could never walk out on my own kids, or put them in a place where their survival was endangered because of me. Yes, Citti is my daughter now, but that just reaffirms my point. If I died tomorrow, would you be able to take care of the girls? Would you if we added a third?"

"Could you?"

"Ouch. Points off for Ad Hominium, but I see your point. I would find a way, even if I had to work until I dropped dead."

"Exactly. Just like I would. I won't lie to you, it scares the blue off me to think of raising a pureblood daughter alone. Even with you around, some of the other parents still look down on Citti."

David growled, a low, rumbling sound deep in his chest, and unconsciously bared his teeth. The turian sitting in front of him assumed a submissive posture, and the salarians behind him recoiled. Sometimes, David forgot that he was 90 kilos of muscle and biotics, and built like a short krogan. He calmed down when Del rubbed his belly though.

"Oh stop it, or I might just go into trance right here."

"Hmph. If it wasn't for my behavior contract, some of those smug bitches would have broken noses prettying up their snotty faces."

"Touching, but you still haven't answered my question."

"Yeah, I guess I do want another one, if you're willing. We have to find something to do with all those old baby clothes."

Delana kissed him on the cheek and looked quite smug. "That's good, because I started preparing myself a week ago, and it would be a pain to stop the process at this point."

"WHAT?" David half bellowed, causing Dora to wake up and Citti to stir.

"Daddy, you loud." The kindergartener mumbled before snuggling back up with Fix-It-Keeper Jr.

"Oh hush. You can't tell me you didn't realize what was happening."

"Well no! There was the trip, and then the funeral, and getting my grade turned in and-"

"For someone as smart, passionate, and aggressive as you are, it amazes me how little you perceive unless it's pointed out to you."

"I perceive plenty."

"Mmhmm. Like ties in front of your face, or unzipped pants? Or backwards shirts, or the fact that our daughters outfits clash horribly?"

David glanced at the girls and frowned. Citti had on green and brown, and Dora had on yellow and pink. "But you've said before those outfits look good on them."

"Individually, yes. Together, they could make a krogan's eyes bleed."

Wisely deciding that clothing choices were not an argument he was equipped, David let the subject drop. "So, uh, that's what, another three days or so?"

"Yes. My mother is coming over to take the girls out to the park that day."

"All the way from Illium?"

"She's due up for a visit. Oh, don't give me that look, she wasn't all that bad to you last time."

"She was upset I don't have breasts! She insulted my manhood!"

"Mother's never really understood why anyone would be attracted to males. Too much extra equipment."

"That doesn't mean she should tell me I would look better with gazongas!"

"Hush. Citti's awake."

"No I'm not." Citti protested, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "What are gazongas?"

David snapped his mouth shut and did his best not to fume. He hadn't really gotten mother in law jokes until he had one of his own. Now he was more than willing to tell a few. The personal insults were not that bad, what irked David was that Dora was clearly Grandma Pi'Ror's favorite. Oh, he knew he played favorites, but it wasn't because Citti was a pure blood.

With Grandma Pi'Ror, everything was about Dora. Citti was a second thought. Dora was always cute, smart and entertaining. Citti always looked a little pale, or a bit too short, or a bit slow for her age. Dora got far and above the better presents, and Citti's birthday's were on occasion forgotten for a few months or even skipped altogether. A fairly even tempered person, David had tried to give Grandma the benefit of the doubt and not lose his temper, but he had lost his shit when Grandma had made a private comment to him while he drove her back to the spaceport.

"It's a shame there weren't humans around when Delana was a girl." The elder Pi'Ror had remarked.

"What do you mean?" David had asked, just making polite conversation.

"Oh, my daughter just finds your species so attractive. Things would have worked out so much better."

Sensing a trap, but unwilling to let it go, David had prompted, "What would have?"

"Why, Citti of course. If her father had been a proper mate, she would have turned out so much better and-"

At that, David had nearly crashed the ground car as he stopped at the side of the road in record speed, slamming both his and Grandma's face into the dash. His nose bloodied, he had turned with glowing blue eyes of rage to his sputtering passenger.

"Now, before you continue your banal, insensitive, and frankly insulting line of thought, MS. Pi'ror, consider one thing." David had growled.

"What is that, you lout!"

"Citti is MY daughter. Just as much as Dora is. And people who insult my daughter do not fucking well get rides to the spaceport from me. They can fucking way, or hitchhike. People who insult my wife, I hit. Blood relation to her or no, consequences be damned. Are we CLEAR, MS. Pi'ror?"

Sniffing in indignation, Grandma had just answered. "Perfectly. Now drive, I don't wish to be tardy."

David had been pretty damn sure Del would hear about the whole thing before he even got home, but all she had asked was how he managed to get blood on his new shirt. As far as David knew, she had never found out, and as far as he was concerned, that was for the best.

He was still ready to kick Grandma out of the house at the first sign of trouble. Though that would probably be pretty hard, Del hadn't gotten her stronger biotics from nowhere, and Grandma Pi'ror had been an Eclipse merc captain before she had retired.

Still, when David got mad enough, he would be willing to try his luck against a krogan, and Grumbar had abundantly proven to David already that even a laid back, flabby, well meaning krogan could kick his ass on accident. No matter how awesome that final score of the Biotic Blitz Ball had been, it had not been worth a chest bump with a krogan. As three cracked ribs and months of wheezing had proved. That was why he preferred to think his actions out, David knew that when he got mad enough, reason and logic went out the window, and he flat out wasn't a good enough fighter to let anger rule him like that.

Still, all in all, having Grandma Bigot over was a small price to pay for three hours of the best sex ever and a new daughter. As the girls finally woke up and started fussing, David lost himself in his parental duties, but inside, he was quivering with excitement. He was going to be a father again.

And though he didn't know it, his fears were not unfounded. Many of the galaxies children would soon be orphans.


	15. Randall Jacobs 2: Technical Difficulties

**Randall Jacobs 2: Technical Difficulties**

**Written and submitted by Rockycombo**

RJ had changed his mind about the best year of his life. While eighteen was a close second, the year starting when the Dissenters made their live appearance on Omega had been absolutely incredible. His twenty-first birthday had been significantly better than his eighteenth, even if he couldn't remember a few patches throughout that night. At least he hadn't been as bad as Wrok; the krogan woke up in a bed with three asari and didn't recall any of it. RJ could describe in detail what he and Kacie had done, not that he would ever think about doing so, but still. More frequent concerts, a growing fan base, and posh apartments (by Omega's standards anyway, which basically meant nobody stole from them because they actually owned a security system) had all defined the year. The band had even met Commander Shepard when they played at some club on the Citadel wards.

Well, 'met' was putting it generously. RJ had reversed the typical roles and actually approached the Commander for an autograph after they played. His new guitar, a PRS Custom, was named Jane after her. He kept up with events as best he could, and insisted on going to her funeral when she was KIA.

"Why are we here again?" Kacie asks in a dull tone, wearing a knee length, sleeveless black dress and heels with her hair held up with a bobby pin. That was about as dressed up as she would ever willing to be; no stockings, no makeup, and no jewelry besides the bracelet RJ had purchased for her about a year and a half ago. She insisted on wearing it almost everywhere, declaring it was her favorite despite the relative simplicity.

"Because it's Commander Shepard!" RJ answers. He dressed up a bit more for the occasion, going so far as to put on a suit and tie. That was something he hadn't done since he lived back on Earth, and showed how strongly he felt about Shepard's death. "She saved this place, if you really need a reason."

"What's she done for me lately?" Kacie asks with a grin as she and RJ continue to walk through the halls of the Citadel Presidium, on their way to the Grand Hall where the funeral was to begin shortly. This was one event RJ wasn't keen to be fashionably late to.

"You're welcome to leave if you want," RJ teases back, shrugging mildly. He actually didn't want her to leave; nobody else from the band had even come.

Which was part of the reason she answered "Nah," giving his hand a warm squeeze. Wrok and Jollin didn't really care enough to take the trip to the Citadel, and their new singer was working on getting to know them. That was the other part of the reason Kacie went with RJ; she did not like Lee's replacement at all.

Lee had left after the first year of their band's relative success, saying she wanted to go off on her own. The departure had been relatively smooth with everybody, except for Jollin. He still hadn't shared his feelings towards Lee _with _Lee during their whole time on Omega, and took her leaving the band rather hard. RJ had heard the two of them yelling at each other through the door of Jollin's apartment when he had gone to try to be there for the salarian. That whole trip was dubbed an immediate bust and dropped by RJ, who was still yet to ask Jollin about it. The salarian went through a phase of forced joviality, and while it had gotten better through the past months, RJ could tell he still struggled with it.

Jollin hadn't even been capable to participate in the new auditions, so it was mainly up to RJ and Kacie. They had filtered through numerous mediocre humans and asari, as a well as a smaller portion of salarians and awful Batarians. There was even a volus at one point. But nobody could bring both the same skill and vibe they had already established with Lee. So by the time Ress'Grey nar Rayya came, they were ready for just about anybody. She had the voice, and she had the tone, so she was taken. Almost no questions.

"You're just trying to avoid Ress, aren't you?" RJ asks jokingly, but puts a little more weight than he intended behind the question. The intrinsic quarian sense of unity was there in force for Ress. Ress did not fit in on Omega at all; she was warm, sweet, and genuinely interested in getting to know people. RJ literally was not sure as to how she had managed to survive before she joined their band. Although he did have to admit, she was a nice source of change from the typical gruffness of Omega folk once he got used to her. He had spent quite a few nights just staying up talking with her. About her, about himself, and about their other band mates. That was something he quite enjoyed, but was never able to do before. Kacie would have laughed it off and called him a pussy. He also learned quite a bit about the basics of quarian culture from Ress, and realized how wrong he had been to dismiss them as essentially second class, as well as discover why she was so nice all the time.

Jollin seemed to like her as well, and Wrok tolerated her, grudgingly accepting the hugs she threw on him at a constant basis. But Kacie did not like Ress. At all.

"You know it," Kacie answers back in an almost identical tone. Kacie was convinced that somebody that nice all the time was either "selling shit or angling for something," and no matter how much RJ and Jollin tried to convince her Ress wasn't like that, she wouldn't listen. RJ had to witness Kacie basically become a different person around Ress; closing up and being overly evasive. Any time RJ brought it up with Ress and tried to apologize, she waved it off and said she was used to it, but it still bugged him that Kacie would treat her like that.

"She's not that bad, y'know," RJ comes back, becoming suddenly much more serious. This was a constant topic of conversation them since Lee had left and Ress had joined, but it was too important to him to drop.

"Ugh, why do you defend her so much?" Kacie asks with disdain that was unable to be hidden. "Can't we just drop it?"

"No," he answers bluntly, barely even noticing as they become part of a group of people moving down the passage. "She's a member of the band now, whether we like it or not."

"By 'we,' you mean 'me,' right?"

RJ isn't sure how to answer that. His mouth opens, and then snaps shut before anything comes out.

"Thought so."

"How about we just drop it?" RJ teases, doing his best to salvage the situation. The mood was pretty easily killed though, and Kacie only rolls her eyes in response. RJ groans inwardly, thankful that they're finally approaching the door to the hall. The swish of the metal is the only sound as they enter, but the silence is quickly filled by the rumble of hundreds, if not thousands of guests seated to face the stage on the far end of the room. RJ and Kacie shuffle along with a few other people down the aisles, eventually finding a seat fairly far back in the expansive space. The casket was already up on stage, and some old politician-y looking guy was speaking to the crowds. RJ could tell Kacie was bored in the first five seconds, and even he had to admit the guy could drone on like a champ. After the politician, RJ bowed his head in prayer with a chaplain, fell in love with some Admiral's amazing voice, and sat through even more awards given by some salarian spectre.

Then came the good part: the character eulogy. RJ didn't know the man who was giving it, but he clearly both knew and cared for Commander Shepard, which was more than he was certain of for all the other speakers. The captain spoke in simple terms, but it was beautiful and elegant nonetheless. It wasn't so much what he said but how he said it all, and that one speech made the entire funeral for him. The rest of the event went by fairly quickly, and the politician-y guy came back up to close the ceremony.

"It's just not fair," RJ mumbles over to Kacie with a sigh, who was paying attention only because she had nothing better to do, as the man started to officially close.

"Life isn't fair, kid," a new voice comes from behind them. RJ spins his head around to find a near middle aged man leaning back in his chair and handing a young asari a juice box.

"Excuse me?" RJ asks.

"I said life isn't fair. Commander Shepard shouldn't have died, but she did anyway. But she knew it was a possibility, and she was died doing what was right."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Kacie asks with confusion as to why somebody would randomly jump into a lecture after a funeral.

"The names Goodman. Now listen here, kiddo," the man replies, leaning forwards towards them. "Everything's like oreos. You ever had those? Back in my day, those were all the rage. You see, they had this creamy filling stuffed between two bland, tough cookie parts," he says, holding up his hands in demonstration. "All they talked about here was the good, fluffy bits in the middle. But nobody can live a perfect life like that. I have no doubt that the Commander had plenty of rough times and trials. Pain, if you will. But you see life doesn't work without that pain and unfairness. The good stuff in the middle loses its importance. You can't eat just the cream on the inside. Maybe for a little while, but after any decent amount of time it starts to get boring and make you sick. You can't really appreciate the joy in life without having rough patches in there too. More unfairness than fairness, even."

By that time, a vast portion of the crowd had filtered out of the hall. But RJ was too stunned by this man's sudden lesson to leave. Where did it come from? And why? What did this Goodman want with him?

"That's great," Kacie finally replies, shaking RJ from his confusion induced coma. "Well. We should be going now. Right RJ?" she asks awkwardly, and he responds with a nod that is equally as awkward.

"Don't forget: pain cookies!" the man shouts after them as the half walk half run out of the hall.

"Who the hell was that?" Kacie asks as they stop to catch their breath when they're convinced they're safe.

"I have no idea," RJ replies through his panting. "But I just couldn't tear myself away."

"Want to go buy some weapons from that stand over there?"

"Nah, let's just get on that ship to Earth. Where he can't find us."

* * *

"Mom, Dad, you remember Kacie," RJ introduces as the four stand in the doorway to RJ's childhood home.

"Of course, how could we forget?" RJ's mother returns happily, having recently released her son from a near suffocating hug. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm well, thank you," she answers with her best smile. RJ and Kacie were wearing the same clothes as they had on the funeral not all that long ago, but that wasn't to say the clothes hadn't been removed for a little while in the middle.

"Did you two end up in the same school again?" RJ's father asks with interest.

"You could say that," she answers, her smile shifting ever so slightly. Only RJ could pick up on the mischief ingrained there. She was going to have way too much fun with this, but at least he didn't have to feel guilty about coming up with the lies that would be told to his parents throughout the night. Just about going along with them.

"Well that's good!" his mother exclaims. "You never did make all that many friends in school," she sings at him, and RJ is convinced she's trying to embarrass him. Not that it works, he has plenty of reasons for doing his best to avoid most lasting relationships that could've started in that hell of a private school. But that didn't mean she couldn't be trying.

"Only two or three, if I remember correctly," his dad chimes in with mock thoughtfulness. Great, he was in on it too. Like his parents even knew anything about his social life. He felt his expected guilt quota chipping away with every word they spoke.

"Those were just the important ones," he answers calmly, casting a subtle wink over at Kacie.

If his parents were caught off guard by his lack of reaction, they didn't show it. "Well, come in, come in!" his mother urges ecstatically. "Dinner will be ready soon, and I can't wait to hear all the stories you have for us."

RJ's mother rushes everybody off to the dining room table, then skitters off into the kitchen to finish the meal. "So," RJ's dad starts, fixing a gaze on RJ by default. "What's going on between you two?"

"We're dating," RJ answers without breaking eye contact with his father.

"How long?"

RJ opens his mouth to answer, but Kacie beats him to the punch. "A year and a half," she chimes in happily. It was really double that, but apparently she didn't want to risk any backlash for having a secret relationship while they still lived on Earth.

"Right around when you left then? Are you sure having a girlfriend in college is a wise decision, son?"

"I'm doing just fine, Dad," RJ answers calmly. "You don't need to manage every part of my life."

"I'm not managing, I'm making suggestions."

RJ wished that his father would look away so he could roll his eyes. That was a line he had heard about fifty times too many to believe. "So you're suggesting we break up after almost two years together?"

"Well, not necessarily break up, but maybe put it on hold. That's what your mother and I did. You can never be too focused on your coursework, good grades are how I was able to get such a good job right out of college. I didn't even need to have a fallback, like you say your musi-"

"Soup's on!" RJ's mother calls as she walks into the kitchen, interrupting his father with her giggling. "I've always liked that phrase. It's so old timey."

RJ grins at his mother and thanks her as she actually puts a bowl of soup in front of him. Well, technically it was stew, but it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

"This is stew," his father corrects anyway, apparently doing his damndest to kill her fun. RJ presses his lips into a line as his mother continues around the table.

"I believe the phrase refers to any meal, regardless of what the type of food is," Kacie informs him in her fake scholarly tone. "But no matter what it is, it smells delightful, Mrs. Jacobs."

"Thank you, dear," his mother sighs as she takes her seat at the table. "I'm glad some people here appreciate it."

"I never said I didn't appreciate it."

"Corbin, please don't," his mother scolds. "It's not every day Randall comes back home, and I don't want to spoil the evening."

"How is this spoiling-"

"Corbin!"

"Fine," his father grumbles. His mother gives him a once over before turning back to RJ and Kacie, who are waiting patiently. She focuses on Kacie first, much to RJ's relief.

"Sorry about that, dear. Now, I want to hear everything. And I mean everything! What are you majoring in? Physics like Randall?"

"No, I'm actually planning on mastering in political science," she answers with enthusiasm that even RJ almost believes is genuine. "I've always been fascinated in politics and demographics. In fact, we just saw a riveting speech by an astounding politician right before we came here," she continues, causing RJ to snicker uncontrollably. Riveting wasn't exactly the word he would use to describe that Udina guy.

"Oh? Where was that?" his father asks, having found his pride again.

"Commander Shepard's funeral," RJ answers for her. "It was quite touching."

"Really? That floozy?" his fathers asks with a click of his tongue.

"...pardon?" RJ asks his father, barely registering that he had actually said those words. Commander Shepard was a soldier, a hero.

"That woman is a disgrace to Earth. Taking aliens on the most advanced ship we have, playing politics with the council, all of that is a total betrayal."

"But she saved the Citadel!"

"That place is a complete eyesore! I swear it's practically an altar to the other species."

"Corbin, calm down," his mother pleads quietly.

"What's wrong with the other species?" RJ asks much less quietly. "Aren't they people too?"

"Oh please, those scumbags shouldn't even count. Especially the council. The only good thing they've done is dismissed Shepard's crackpot claims. They're no better than the quarians they triumph themselves over."

"And what's wrong with quarians, exactly?" RJ asks darkly.

"I wouldn't expect you to know, Randall. You've never met one."

"As a matter of fact, I have. And she's one of the kindest people ever. Right Kacie?"

"No, I think I'm with your father here."

RJ can literally feel his eyes bugging out of his head as he whips around to face her. "WHAT?"

"Well, he makes some good points. The council has always been biased against humanity, you can't deny that. The Commander's Reaper stories are a bit far fetched, and I thought it was common knowledge that quarians are thieves and leeches."

"Are you serious?! You'd rather keep up this charade than defend a hero? Than defend our own friend?"

"Hold on," RJ's father interrupts, ignoring his wife practically breaking down in her chair. "What was that about a charade?"

RJ let out a guttural yell as he leaned towards his father. Enough was enough. "I'm not going to school on the Citadel! Kacie, Jollin and I started a band in high school and we moved to Omega to start a career. We're doing fantastic, by the way. Oh! Kacie and I have been dating for twice as long as she told you, and we've had so much sex you wouldn't be able to fucking believe it. And I had other friends in high school! I just didn't want to keep in touch with those pompous pricks. You can make all these generalizations, but the people living out there are still people, no matter what species they are or how much money they have. And I won't sit here and listen to you disrespect the goddamn savior of the Citadel or the entire race of the lead singer of our band!" RJ practically screams, his face beet red by the end of the rant.

There's an awkward silence for what feels like an eternity. RJ too angry to say anything more, his mother too broken, and Kacie and his father at a total loss for words. RJ eventually stands, making to leave. "Is all that true?" his mother asks in little more than a whimper.

"Every fucking word," RJ growls. "I'm going. Thanks for dinner."

Kacie stands awkwardly as RJ walks surprisingly calmly towards the door. She casts an apologetic glance at each of RJ's parents before running after him. He waits until they're out of the house before turning to face Kacie. He doesn't even need to speak for Kacie to see the extraordinary disapproval in his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry," she calls as he walks away again. "I was just doing my best to fix it!"

"He doesn't need fixing," RJ spits. "He needs to crawl in a hole and die."

"You don't mean that."

"I don't?" RJ asks, whipping around to face her again. "Did you hear how he talked about _everything?_ Oh wait, of course you did. You were right there with him on it."

"So now this about me?" she questions angrily. "I thought we agreed we were going to be lying beforehand."

"Yea, about _what_ we're doing! Not about our thoughts on people that are supposed to be our equals."

"I was playing the part!"

"You do it suspiciously well," he returned through bared teeth. They stayed clenched after her slap too, his whole head barely moved at all. What was that supposed to do? Make him regret what he said? He was just at the funeral of somebody who had _died_ defending what he was defending on a smaller scale. A slap wasn't going to change his mind, no matter who it was from. He stared Kacie down long enough to make that point, then turned and continued walking without so much as a glance back.

* * *

"RJ?" a familiar voice comes with an accompanying knock on the door to his apartment. "You in there?"

He and Kacie had just arrived back on Omega. She had stormed off somewhere, he didn't really care where, while he went back to their apartment to fume. He had barely been there ten minutes though before Ress' voice sang through the place.

RJ lets out a sigh before trudging over to the door. He stands in the doorway as it swishes open, blocking the quarian from entering. "What, Ress?" he asks as a greeting to the female quarian in a light gray suit. She swore it wasn't a pun on her name.

"I just saw Kacie, she seemed pretty upset," she answers, the image of concern. "Is she alright?"

"Probably not," RJ answers, unable to stop himself from stepping out of the way to let her in once he actually saw her. "Visiting my parents was pretty horrible."

"Oh no!' she coos, still standing in the same place. "What happened?"

"It was complete disaster," he answers as he rubs the back of his head. "You don't want to hear about it."

"Yes I do," she responds, putting a hand on his arm tenderly as she walks into the apartment and over to the couch. "Now come over here."

RJ shuffles after her, taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch.. "Well, it went alright up until my father started talking badly about Commander Shepard. I defended her, and it got pretty heated. He even started going off about how humanity is basically better than any other species, and talking down to all the others. Quarians worse than any," he continues, looking over at Ress apologetically. She's still paying close attention and seems unfazed, only worried about him. He can't help but smile at her. "I defended them too. We're all people. And when I turned to Kacie for support, she sided with him! I could barely believe it," he adds, casting his eyes down again as he pauses for a moment, trying to find the words. "And then I burst. I was shouting at him, telling him the truth of all that's happened, just going off on him about everything."

"You really defended aliens like that? Defended _quarians_ like that?" Ress asks quietly.

RJ's eyes snap up to hers again. "_Especially _quarians. You showed me just how badly everybody treats your people."

"Well, not _everybody,_" she corrects. RJ suddenly notices she's been sliding closer to him throughout his explanation, and their legs are practically touching by this point. Not that he minds. "That's so sweet of you."

"You deserve it," he states genuinely. "If you think I'm sweet, you should take a look at yourself. I can't wait until everybody sees you when we go back out on tour." There's silence for a few moments, with the two of them only looking at each other. "What?" he finally asks to break the quiet.

"I'm starting to look at you differently, RJ," she tells him, placing a hand on his leg right above the knee. "In case I didn't make it clear enough, I had a major crush on you when we were first getting to know each other."

"What? Really?" RJ interrupts for confirmation with legitimate surprise.

"Of course. You're really the only person that's not a quarian to ever treat me like an equal. Well, besides Wrok, but that's different. Jollin's pleasant, but never really warm or welcoming. And Kacie was just cold. She still is, even."

"I think I'm starting to see why," RJ replies, nodding towards her hand that's been gradually making its way up his leg.

It suddenly freezes when he points it out, though. "Oh keelah, do you think she knows? Is that the reason?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," he returns bitterly.

"Do you want me to stop?"

RJ looks up and stares through the mask, straight into her eyes. They glow against the dark backdrop of Omega, and he can tell they're wide open. Concerned. Involved. Interested. So much more than Kacie had ever been the entire time he had known her.

"No."

RJ hears her swallow before speaking again as she resumes her hand's slow slide up. "As I was saying, I was interested in you. But Kacie did her best to deter that, she made it very clear that you weren't into me and that I had no chance. That makes a lot more sense now, too. But you were so nice to me, I couldn't stop hoping," she glanced up at him, and RJ would've bet a lot of money that she was blushing. "And after hearing how you opposed both your father and your girlfriend to defend me, and then didn't ask me to stop this, and then..."

Ress trailed off, and RJ waited patiently. But then she suddenly closed the rest of the gap on his leg, rubbing sensuously at the area between his legs. RJ was stunned for a few moments, but quickly came back to reality when he feels her fiddling with his zipper. He can't help but chuckle.

She looks up at him, clearly nervous. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Just did not see that coming," he assures her. There's an awkward pause for a moment. "Can you even do this?"

"I have nerve stimulators," she answers immediately, turning back to his almost exposed member. "Have you ever been with a quarian before?" she counters.

"Nope," he answers without hesitation.

"Well, it's going to be a bit different. The...traditional ways don't really work. Since have to keep my suit on."

"I'm open to new experiences."

That's all the prompting Ress needed. She pulls out his manhood, gripping it firmly. RJ shivers, both at the feel of only three fingers and at the foreign material of the suit on his sensitive skin. Her other hand quickly joins the first, and they go about playing with him in the most elaborate fashions he had ever seen. "You're good at this," he breathes out.

"You learn a lot when you're restricted to your hands," she returns, not even breaking her focus. Eventually, she swings herself on top of him, grinding the space between her own legs against his. He instinctively starts running his hands along her hips and stomach, hoping she feels it.

Her humming instantly tells him she does. She plants her hands on his chest, positioning herself to move her hips both faster and in longer intervals. RJ groans happily when she starts; the suit material near her core both soft and comfortable against him. Especially when steadily sliding back and forth. Her own moans are a clear indication that she's enjoying herself as well, the nerve stims probably hard at work.

And it was at that moment that Kacie decided it would be a good time to walk into the apartment. RJ shoots up to a standing position, unintentionally pushing Ress off as he frantically pulls his pants up. Ress squeals when she sees Kacie, immediately hiding behind RJ and peeking over his shoulder.

"What the fuck, RJ?" Kacie asks in the lowest, most serious tone he had ever heard her use.

RJ's about to apologize, but then he realizes something. He's not sorry. "She cares about me," he blurts out awkwardly. "She's there for me. She always tells the truth and doesn't try to trick people. And she's a better friend than you've ever been."

Kacie glares at him, having clearly been expecting a different response. "Find someone to replace me in the band too," she orders coolly, spinning around to leave and giving RJ both middle fingers before the door slides shut.

"Did you mean all that?" Ress asks softly from behind him.

He turns around to face her and gently takes ahold of her elbows. "Yes," he answers simply with a smile. "You should have seen her at my parents house. And Shepard's funeral. She basically said she only went to avoid you. I don't need somebody like her. I have you."

"So we're...together?" she asks timidly.

"If you want to be."

"Is that even in question at this point?"

* * *

"Thank you all for coming!" RJ bellows into his microphone on the stage on the Citadel. "I know we've had some change in personnel, but the Dissenters are still here, and still blowing your heads off! Here's for another two years with these wicked folks," he continues, winking over at Ress as the audience cheers. "We'd like to dedicate this next set to all those families that are hurting after the recent colony disappearances," he continues, seeing Wrok and Jollin out of the corner of his eye as they cast a look over at their new rhythm guitarist. "All the proceeds from the purchases of any of these songs today will go straight to fund the efforts of the Alliance to fight these tragedies.

Now who's ready to rock?"


	16. Vanessa Valentine 2: Brace

**Vanessa Valentine 2: Brace**

**Written and submitted by TenyumeKasumi**

Vanessa never thought she would see this day.

Standing amongst the crowd and keeping her weight on her good leg, Vanessa Valentine looked on as the honour guard made their way through the Grand Hall in a slow, sombre march. The blue of the Alliance flag stood out in stark contrast against the dull colours of the coffin and matched the uniforms of the ones who bore it. The coffin was empty – they hadn't even had the chance, the dignity to bring her home.

The bugle sounded, distant in her ears. Even the huge crowd was silent. Not even an uttered murmur from anybody. Vanessa had dressed casually for the occasion, wearing a basic black T-shirt and black cargo pants. Her Alliance tags were, for once, not on display but tucked under her shirt while her face was partially concealed by the hood of a dark coloured jacket. It was a cursory disguise, but successful – no one had even looked twice at her since she came in. Medical dressing covered her left cheek and side of the neck and bandages bound other areas hidden beneath her clothes. Vanessa had still been recovering from her injuries sustained from the Battle of the Citadel when she first heard the news days ago.

Udina took his place at the raised platform and began to speak. The words meant nothing to her, going in one ear and out the other. Nothing Udina would say about Shepard would have done justice to the hero of the Citadel, the hero to them all. Vanessa turned her head to the side, averting her eyes from the proceedings with a humourless snort. What did a politician know about battle, anyway? About facing down an enemy with your back to the wall and nothing to protect you except yourself and your comrades – if they were alive? What did they know how it is like to bleed, to push yourself to your limit – then beyond – just to have a chance to take another breath, get another second and fire another shot?

Her fingers clenched into fists, knuckles white. He had no right. No right to speak of Shepard as Hero with such empty words.

But then again, Vanessa really had no right to be here either. Not when there others who had known the commander personally, who had loved and cared for her. Their sufferings were incomparable to anyone else's in the entire room combined.

Vanessa sighed, frustrated, as she pressed her fingers against her forehead hard. She clearly wasn't thinking clearly. Heh, 'clearly'.

Anger nibbled at the edge of her consciousness, but she reigned it in. Causing a scene here would be a disgrace to Commander Shepard's memory. And nothing would come of it anyway.

Nevertheless, the injustice of it all was maddening. Shepard had fought with the courage of a hundred warriors, taken down twice as many geth during the Battle of the Citadel, enabled the assault against that monster of a machine and won, blown it to pieces – and how had they repaid her?

Thrown aside her warnings of the Reapers, sent her off on a meaningless goose chase to hunt down worthless geth mooks and it had ultimately resulted in her death. Vanessa tightened her fists further. Perhaps that was it; she probably blamed the Council for Shepard's death. Some part of her was telling her that it was irrational, that her anger was misdirected – but she ignored it, deciding to indulge in the feelings of rage for the time being.

Rage, because she didn't know what else to feel at that moment. Shepard was the hero she had looked up to since she was a child, someone in whose footsteps she had hoped to follow one day. It had been a dream of hers. To be like the great Commander Shepard, a ray of hope that brought justice to the dark abyss of the galaxy. Then Vanessa found out the hard way; Shepard's path was not an easy one to walk.

It took her years to realise it, months more before she accepted it. Vanessa knew she could never match up to even a tenth of the woman the Commander was, so she settled for something she _could_ do, and do it her way. And that, ironically, had meant leaving the Alliance and joining Aria, And now, that role model, that idol, was gone. She never personally knew Shepard, never got to get close to her, she knew she shouldn't be reacting this way.

Vanessa chanced a glance back to the funeral proceedings; Anderson was talking now. She'd read a lot about him – from what she knew, he was a good man. For Shepard to have called him mentor, he must really be something at any rate. She wondered if he had believed Shepard about her warning of the Reapers, when the entire Council did not.

Reapers. Vanessa frowned. The information was kept hush-hush, but being close to the Queen of Omega meant that plenty of secretive going-ons tended to reach your ears. The Reapers were an entire other can of worms. But ugh, worms were disgusting – gummy worms, then. Yes, that sounds more palatable. A whole other can of gummy worms.

If she had to admit it, she had to say it sounded something out of an epic fiction novel – sentient, evil ships that were out to destroy the galaxy and had the power of mind control? If she didn't know any better, she would have said it sounded like a set up for a strange Gary Stud story. Well, she wasn't really sure if she did know better, but she did know that she believed in Shepard. Even it did sound rather crazy. All right, perhaps downright insane was a better choice of words – but still. Perhaps her idolisation of Shepard was making her biased, but Vanessa believed Shepard – the commander would have no reason to lie.

But that didn't matter – what had mattered; would have mattered, could have changed everything, was that the Council had not believed Shepard. And that was why everyone was here today, why people who weren't here were watching this in their homes today, why her crew stood by her coffin and were mourning today. Vanessa watched silently as Hannah Shepard refused the proffered Alliance flag, gesturing to a tearful Liara T'Soni instead, as the shocked asari accepted the folded up navy blue fabric. Vanessa watched as they prepared for a final send-off of one of the Alliance's greatest soldiers.

She raised a hand to touch her dog tags through the fabric of her shirt. They suddenly felt very much heavier around her neck. She could feel the deep gauge in the metal, even through the cloth, where she had struck out the Alliance symbol with a bent, rusted nail so many years ago in that fit of rage. That same rage began to rear its head again, stoking her spirit-fire and strengthening her resolve.

Vanessa may not be Alliance any more, but she was sure as hell going to make sure that Shepard's efforts had not been in vain.

0-0-0-0-0

When the funeral service was finally over, Vanessa hobbled out into the Presidium, minding her still-healing injuries. It was a beautiful day – as always. The bright light and clean look with crisp buildings were a nice change of scenery from Omega, as was the sight of living greenery and the tranquil, sparkling lake. It reminded her a little of Earth. It made her wonder about her mother and how she was doing; and her brother, was he married yet, maybe? Hmm, she could be an aunt already, and not even know it. Vanessa began to chuckle at the idea, but abruptly stopped. Was that man who called himself her father even still alive?

Shaking her head vigorously, Vanessa cast the thought from her mind – this was another reason she had taken a liking to Omega. It looked nothing like the place she had once called home. Less reminders that way.

Home. Looking over her shoulder, she glanced back at the tower where the funeral had been held. Hannah Shepard had refused to leave, standing with one hand on the empty coffin as she stared down at it as if her daughter was really there, that she was only sleeping, that she would wake up soon. Liara stood with her, a little further back, clutching the Alliance flag to her chest as she bowed her head and cried silent tears. Everyone had known better than to disturb them.

Vanessa wondered if the vast emptiness of space would forever be a reminder of what it had torn away from them. A reminder they could not run away from, like how she had run away from the reminders of Earth. A reminder that would crop to the surface of their mind and stare them right in the eye every time they boarded a space-faring vessel or looked out the window of a spaceship. That sort of thing changed people, even more so if they lacked the strength to face it. Hannah Shepard and Liara T'Soni would be walking away from this as different people as the ones who had walked in.

Speaking of reminders and walking, Vanessa reminded herself that she really needed to watch where she was going.

"Oof!"

"_Futanda!_ "

She stumbled backwards, just managing to catch herself from falling. From somewhere nearby, a vaguely familiar voice muttered something under their breath that sounded oddly like a curse of pain. Looking up, Vanessa set her eyes on a much taller human male in a smart and crisp Scout uniform – with dozens of adornments she couldn't make heads or tails of – and sporting a rather grizzly beard.

"Ah, _cantik_, I'm sure I didn't do anything to deserve that!," said the man, grinning through his beard – though it looked a bit like a grimace as he kept his weight off one foot and kept himself balanced on the other. Something his stance and the way he distributed his weight gave her the odd feeling she was being humoured. "Man, if I didn't know any better I'd have said you had something against me!"

She recognised that voice.

"Ah," her eyes widened slightly as she put a hand to her chin, contemplating him. Then, for lack of anything better to say, she pointed a finger at him, "It's you," she said.

The man's face seemed to crumble with mock sadness. "It's only been a few weeks and you've already forgotten who I am, _cantik?_ And gesturing to me like some common animal, to boot."

"Oh sure, I remember," she replied, grinning sardonically. "You're the john who stole Eva from me."

The man took a step back, putting his weight on the foot she had just trodden on. "_Steal _Eva away? Hardly. I never _stole _her anywhere. In fact, I paid you for the session."

"Oh?" she said, quirking an eyebrow, refraining from crossing her arms in case she reopened her wounds. Going back to the hospital when she just got out would be troublesome. "So it was just a coincidence that Eva disappeared shortly after your little visit?"

"Purely coincidence, _cantik_." The grin stretched wider.

"Hm, that's good then…" she trailed off, reaching into the hoodie casually as if merely adjusting it. The move did not fool him, his practiced eyes followed her movements with rapt attention while keeping the amicable smile on his face. Slowly, she closed her fingers around the cool grip of her concealed Suppressor. Pistols weren't her favoured weapon. She preferred her biotics – or her Spike Thrower, at least. But either would be too showy in such crowded quarters in public while the Suppressor could ensure she could make a stealth kill and be out of there before anyone was the wiser. Vanessa looked up at him. "It would be a pity if I had to kill someone for taking away my best money-maker."

From out of seemingly nowhere, he produced a Paladin and ran his fingers over it lightly. She noticed that the hold he has on it ensured that it was at the ready at any time. "Yeah, would be pretty messy for a body to end up on the Presidium right after Commander Shepard's funeral, huh?"

Vanessa let out a bark of laughter. "No kidding. But I bet the reporters will have a field day about it. Just imagine the headlines: 'Human Male Eagle Scout Shoots Defenceless Ex-Alliance Female Under Belief of Being Attacked'." She gave one of her cattish grins and withdrew her hand from the folds of her hoodie – empty.

"Hah! Seriously, you should have seen your face!" she openly laughed, then abruptly stopped at the sharp pain throbbing through her ribcage, suppressing a wince. Her broken ribs did not take kindly to such movements.

"_Pergi hisap zakar babi hutan!"_ cursed the older man. If they were on Omega, Vanessa would have taken offence and struck him down where he stood. But since they weren't, and his change of expressions were priceless to observe, she abstained, preferring to concentrate on fighting down her guffaws instead.

"Why? What DID my face look like? Besides its usual sexy self, that is," to his credit, the bearded man recovered quickly, shifting his grip on the pistol so that it was more relaxed; twirling it around his index finger casually.

"Hm, like you were constipated from shitting bricks, really," she replied smugly, lips twitching into a cocky smirk. "Sure you don't need a laxative?"

"Is that a challenge, _cantik_?" he queried, wiggling his eyebrows. The action seemed hilarious to Vanessa and she began to giggle, only to bite her lip and stifle them as the pain in her torso made itself known again.

"Ouch. Hm, tempting. But maybe some other time when the match isn't so one-sided," she said light-heartedly, raising an eyebrow in return.

"You may be right. I don't think my chivalrous conscious could stand beating up an injured girl."

Scoffing with mock insult, she jabbed him sharply in the shoulder. "I meant, one-sided in my favour. Even in a hospital bed, I could flay you in ten seconds flat, mister."

"Oh? Care to test that theory? I've already demonstrated that I know how to hold my fire..." he said teasingly, a sly grin on his bearded visage.

She couldn't help it – she laughed despite her complaining bones. "In case you've forgotten, I sell the services of others – not _myself._" She stuck out her tongue at him for good measure. Then her playful expression faded and became sober, "At any rate, don't worry about getting killed in your sleep – at least, not by me anyway. I'm fine with Eva being gone. Prefer it, actually. She has a good heart, Omega's not a place for someone like her and she had already been there for too long."

Still, she was a little miffed that Eva had left without paying her in full and that she felt that the blonde-haired woman had betrayed her in some way. Which was a stupid notion – did she really expect her and Eva to be on amicable terms while she sold out the other every night, multiple times, to several men? Vanessa sighed at her own foolishness, naivety. After all this time, she ought to know better. But the loneliness had been taking its toll on her, and she supposed she now felt bitter for losing a confidante, someone she could talk to normally. Or _thought_ she could talk to. Vanessa looked back up toward the Presidium sky, still reliably blue.

"Oh well, it's been nice seeing you again and all, but I really gotta get going. You know, business stuff and all. Like I'm sure you have as well."

She turned to leave, but was stopped by The Salesman Voice.

"Heh. Actually, if you really don't have any bad blood, actually are still an Alliance patriot, actually are here for the reason I think, how about a commemorative pistol grip mod? Contains a boresight laser, the likeness of Commander Shepard and the Normandy, and comes in pearl, checkered, pebbled, and wood? All proceeds from your purchase will go towards the Shepard Foundation for War Orphans. Oh yes, all are compatible with that Suppressor you're packing." Tiberius indicated the hidden firearm nestled under her clothes with a nod of his head. Ignoring her prior caution, she crossed her arms the best she could and raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to be impressed or feel violated. The bearded man shot her a cocky grin. "Don't look so surprised. The M-11 is essentially a more compact Carnifex body with widened handguard and a fat silencer. Heh. Silencing a mass effect weapon... Much more complicated than the old accelerant silencers."

Vanessa gave Tiberius a last look of mock contempt before sighing and offering a credit chit. "Wooden grip, please. Big-shot salesman thinking he can hustle everybody out of their damn credits… You have a better future as a pirate in the Terminus Systems, anybody ever tell you that?"

He only laughed, taking the chit. "It's for the Alliance, ma'am," he said with a mischievous wink as he processed the transaction.

Gaze dropping to the Paladin now back at his belt, she eyed it thoughtfully for a moment. "Say, how many of those can you get me?"

"Hm? This baby?" patting the firearm like it was a pet cat instead of a tool of death, he smirked. "Oh, these aren't available on _our_ market if you know what I mean. But believe me, I have my ways. What do you need, ma'am?"

"What's the best deal you can bag me?" She couldn't remember the exact number of Aria's troops, so she figured she would just make a high estimate. She wasn't usually the one who handled these matters – that was Bay's job – but she didn't think they could find another dealer who could acquire Paladins for them as easily. Besides, they could afford it. And probably still get that hot tub upgrade for the club.

Paladins wouldn't be much against Reapers, Vanessa thought, as she scrutinised the powerful pistol, but surely training them to at least be better fighters was a significant step she could take? Briefly, she wondered what Commander Shepard would do in her position, but brushed the thought away quickly before it could settle – the commander was dead. Only those still breathing could do some shit about anything.

"Standard without mods, they come 50 to a crate at two-five apiece. So 12500 per crate unmodded. Mods to match? If you want a mixed bag its cheaper at 5 k per crate, one type only is 8. Remember, three rules on this market. Fast, good condition, or cheap, pick two."

"Pirate," she repeated with a curse, but was ruined by a grin. She really did like this one, he had a good sense of wit. "I'd rather use our own mods, thanks. Standard, a hundred crates. You know where to find me."

"Right. Thanks for the business!" he said cheerily, powering down his omnitool as he inclined his head a little in her direction. "Take care, cantik. Don't get shot again."

And with that, he left.

"Huh." Huffed Vanessa aloud, as she turned to take a shuttle to the wards. She had actually busted her ribs and broken her leg when charging down a geth prime – not the best decision of her life – but he didn't need to know that.

0-0-0-0-0

It was supposed to be reasonably easy to find, but Vanessa kept getting side-tracked along the way – there were just so many things to see in the wards. She got distracted by a game store run by a salarian and wound up purchasing copies of Galaxy of Fantasy and N7 Code of Honour. Next was a rather fascinating store selling home knick-knacks like retro lava lamps and actual hourglasses containing brightly coloured sand, ranging from sizes as tiny as her pinky finger and as large as a Cain. After spending a good twenty minutes at a pet shop poking her finger through the bars of a space hamster's cage and squeeing as it nibbled good-naturedly on her fingernail, the weight in her cargo pant pocket reminded her of her original resolution. Sighing dejectedly, Vanessa left the pet shop with a last look of longing at the furry creature. There was no way she could bring it back to Omega. At first sight of it, Aria would – actually, it's probably better not to think what Aria would and can do to a poor, defenceless little creature like a space hamster.

Coming to a stop in an entrance hall, Vanessa looked to the doors ahead of her. The Dark Star Lounge. In her eyes, it paled drastically in comparison to Afterlife's energy. But it wasn't so bad, if extranet reviews were anything to go by. It was crowded, attendees of Shepard's funeral coming up here to drink away the grim mood, and nobody here knew enough of who she was to bother giving her way. Vanessa grumbled as she pushed past a throng of asari, reminding herself that that was the whole point of disguising herself and not to complain.

Finally making it to the bar, she arrived just in time to see the long-staying turian bartender whack an adult, blonde human male on the head and reprimand him about dirtying the counter with his open sobbing and wailing. She didn't pay them much more attention as her target entered her sights.

Makani Blancarte, flair performer for the Dark Star. Vanessa had heard much about Makani; she vaguely recalled a conversation with Aria in which the asari had wondered out loud if they should seek out the performer as a potential employee in Afterlife. Vanessa had secretly been hoping she would get to see some those flair talents in action today, but was disappointed to see that Makani was too busy to dance with the glasses and liquor this time. Pity, it wasn't often that Vanessa came to the Citadel. Striding over to the bar and taking a seat a ways away from the bawling blonde man, she reminded herself that she was here for business; not to watch a fancy bar show.

"What may I get for you, miss?"

Makani was before her now, wearing a pleasant smile despite the thin sheen of perspiration from bustling around serving drinks. But the pitch of the voice threw off Vanessa a little.

"Oh. You're female?"

She received a chuckle in response, "Is it so surprising?"

Vanessa allowed herself a smile in return. "Kinda. I couldn't really tell – it's very ambiguous. Erm, your face, I mean."

Waving a hand dismissively, Makani winked. "Don't worry, I get that a lot. Now, is there anything I can get for you?"

"Yes. A favour, if you please." Vanessa leaned forward on the counter, putting their heads closer together as if sharing a secret. "You're Makani Blancarte, aren't you?"

A shadow of suspicion and alarm crossed her androgynous face before she hid it away. "That's right, Kani Blancarte at your service. Who's asking, pretty lady?" she responded with an attempt at a flirtatious grin.

Vanessa inwardly smirked egotistically at the flattery. This one knew her way around people. "That's not important. It's my understanding that you know Eva Harper?" She pretended to examine the countertop as if it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen, thrumming her fingers against the delightfully smooth and cool surface.

Instantly, the mood of the conversation changed. Makani's guard was up now, the amicable stance gone. "Yeah, Eva's a pretty popular face here in Zakera. I hope you're not looking to trouble her." Dropping the forced smile, Makani leaned in close, eyes flashing dangerously. "Because you'll have to go through me."

Raising her hands in a gesture of peace, Vanessa back-pedaled a little – she already had had a close call with that Tiberius fellow, it would do no good to cause a scene here on the Citadel. On another note, Vanessa was slightly surprised to see how protective Makani seemed over Eva. Perhaps their relationship ran deeper than she thought. "Relax, no one needs to go through anyone today. My plan was to just come here, drop something off and get the hell off this station before I drown in the stampede. Simple. If I get this done soon enough, maybe I can make it out before shuttle traffic gets too bad."

Pausing, Vanessa huffed in resignation. "Right. And my shoes are made of gold." She looked up, brushing her jet black bangs from her eyes. "Don't check, they're really not. Er, I mean– " She coughed, refocusing on her objective. "Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? You're a busy woman. I'm a busy woman. Woman? Girl? Whatever. So wasting time would just be wasting money. I just need you to pass this to Eva."

Reaching down to the side pocket of her cargo pants, Vanessa undid a clasp, freed a flat object about nine inches long and brought it up onto the counter. A short blade, still in its sheath; the hilt gleaming brightly in the lighting of the bar. The topaz pommel shimmered entrancingly, perfectly polished. A rather fanciful knife, but she found it fitting. Gifting a person with a knife was a symbol of cutting ties with them, complete disassociation. Severing her ties with Eva meant an end to a chapter that should have concluded a long time ago, and it brought closure that the blonde woman was no longer her responsibility.

Just as she revealed the weapon, Vanessa caught movement in the corner of her eye. A hulking man easily three times her size was making his way to them, glaring at her in particular. Feeling her body kicking into gear, the Afterlife pimp tensed, readying herself to attack at a moment's notice, fingertips sparking with biotics.

Noticing this, Makani intervened – she gave the man a sharp look, stopping him in his tracks, then shook her head almost imperceptibly. The giant of a man paused halfway across the room, scowling at Makani. She narrowed her eyes at him in response. A silent conversation passed between them, and the man turned and headed back to his position by the wall.

Turning to Makani, Vanessa whistled, "Huh, that could have turned ugly. What was that about?"

"My apologies, Krieger is my bodyguard. He gets a little paranoid, sometimes."

"A bodyguard? Hm, makes me wonder why you need one. But that doesn't matter; he had a right to worry if a stranger just pulled a weapon on his charge. He wouldn't be worth his pants if he didn't. Besides, it's quite foolish of you to trust me so quickly, no?" Vanessa grinned a cat-like grin, then without waiting for a response, handed over the blade, hilt first. "Here, take it. Make sure Eva gets it. Tell her it's from V.V., she'll understand. And, as incentive– "

A credit chit was tossed onto the countertop.

"Here, consider it a tip." She slid off the seat, favouring her injured leg as she reached for the floor with her toes. "And thank you."

Without another word, she turned her back on the bar and left as quickly as she had come.

Vanessa put a finger to her chin as she thought hard, wandering out of the lounge as a greater number of people poured in. Now, if she planned this carefully, maybe she could convince Aria to let her keep the space hamster after all…

0-0-0-0-0

_BLAM!_

Rearing back and popping back behind the low wall she had taken cover under, Vanessa brought up her Spike Thrower to eject the spent heatsink.

"Sss! Ssshe's over there!"

"Kill the rotten little pyjack!"

"RAAAAA- "

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Without waiting for her Shockwave to completely clear the way, the short woman vaulted over the waist-high wall and began her race down the dimly lit and filthy street, passing several vorcha who lay prone on the ground.

Another of the vermin appeared from behind a pile of crates, armed with a flamethrower. She blasted his head clear off with the shotgun and dashed past, his limp form tumbling to the floor. Paying no mind to the fresh spattering of blood and gore on her face and armour, she pressed onward. The night air of the lower levels of Omega brought with it the stench of the Slums, though it was deadened somewhat by the coppery tang of fresh blood that permeated the air from the corpses she was leaving in her wake. Old, abandoned buildings towered on either side of the street she ran in, the neglected street lamps glowing dully in the dark.

Things went much the same – charge, kill some vorcha, take cover, replenish barriers, charge, kill more vorcha – until she reached the end of the street. Just as she thought she could make it, a massive bulk of a figure materialised, barring her way.

"Puny runt," growled the krogan, gnashing his teeth menacingly as he took a threatening step forward. "Did you really think you could mess with the Blood Pack and live?"

"As I recall," Vanessa replied loudly, slowing her reckless advance into a casual walk, keeping her shotgun ready, "You guys are just a bunch of defectors. You're not Blood Pack anymore, and you haven't been for months now. This is your operation now isn't it, Rugh?"

It was true, there had been an unusual unrest among the mercs lately in Omega. It probably had something to do with that mysterious Archangel persona and his ragtag gang of misfits, though she wasn't really sure if that was the only problem. There were some stirrings in the Slums; something about a plague that affected all but human and vorcha, and that crazy, old salarian that had set up a clinic somewhere. The resulting chaos of the entire situation had led to much disagreements and internal fighting among the merc gangs, which meant more cold bodies found on the streets every morning. If they didn't get their act together soon, they would probably eliminate each other.

Rugh let out that strange chuckling grunt krogan were so apt to use, and looked her straight in the eye. "Guess it was only a matter of time till you pyjacks got something right." He released the safety of his own shotgun – a Claymore – and pointed it at her. "So, what's with the showy entry? We causing too much trouble for that pratty 'Queen' living her scrummy castle, huh? Aria want us gone? Sent her little pet varren to do it?"

Huffing humourlessly, Vanessa smirked. "As if Aria could care what the scum beneath her boots like you do. You just had something she wanted, I came to get it. You and your team just got in my way. And you should know," Vanessa advances another step, closing the distance between them to ten metres. "People _really_ shouldn't get in my way."

"Good, because this is the last time you'll have to deal with it!" With a savage roar, the krogan tossed aside the Claymore and strode forward, entire body glowing blue. He broke into a charge. So did she. The two blazing streaks, coloured bright blue with biotic power, met halfway.

The explosion was prodigious, shaking the walls of nearby buildings and breaking the windows. Streetlamps shattered from the excess of biotic energy, falling in a tinkling shower of glass dust and painting the whole street an inky blackness. The force of the impact caused a blast of air to tear through the street, disturbing bits of garbage and fluttering scraps of paper. The ringing remnants of the explosion thrummed in the air for a moment longer, before fading away. For a few moments, all was silent.

The sudden crunch of breaking glass under a foot broke the violently achieved peace. The sound of scraping metal followed it as a shotgun was retrieved from the ground. Footsteps slowly pick their way through the darkened street.

Stepping out from the shadows, Vanessa swiped at the blood beginning to stream down her forehead – part of it hers, most of it his – as she made a turn at the end of the street, making her way back to the upper levels of Omega. Before the street left her peripheral vision, she turned back to look, as if she was seeing something in the impossibly dark and morbidly silent space.

"Take that, you _bastard_."

With a turn and a step, she left.

Her words had not been directed at any of the unmoving bodies that bled there.

0-0-0-0-0

"_So… what do you think?"_

"… _Very well, then. Go."_

"_Are… are you sure?"_

"_Of course. But promise me something."_

"_What?"_

"_That no matter happens, no matter what anyone says or does and no matter where you find yourself later on; promise that you will never let anyone else stand in the way of your goals ever again."_

"_I…"_

"_Promise."_

"_But… yes, promise. Ok. Right."_

"_Then… off you go."_

"_But… can't… Can't you come with me? It's hateful to stay here with him. He's a bloody hypocrite! I'm not putting up with his bullshit anymore and you don't have to, either. We can go off-world together! Please?"_

"_No, I don't think so."_

"_But– "_

"_Go."_

0-0-0-0-0

**A/N:** Whew, it's done! And a little late – sorry, guys!

While doing this chapter, I realised I was derailing from the whole idea of this being a self _self_ insert, and making Vanessa to be someone I was not. So here, I tried to make her a bit more like yours truly which involved a bit more personal writing. Yes, there is this one person who I really, _truly_ hate… who is not the one talking in the flashback text, just so you know.

Also, knives. In most cultures, it is taboo to give a knife as a gift as it represents the gifter trying to 'cut' their ties to the giftee (this is especially forbidden in cases of wedding gifts). In modern times, a common way to circumvent this is for the giftee to present the gifter of the knife with a very small sum of money – say, a ten cent coin or a dollar at most – to be taken as the knife being 'bought' and not given.


	17. Tiberius Gaiterus 2: O Fortuna

**A/N ANNNND its Legion again! Thank you for your dedicated readership, thank you to all the amazing authors who have contributed and STILL ARE contributing to this project. Thank you to Aria's Afterlife, THE NUMBER ONE Mass Effect Fanfiction forum. Go join, its lots of fun! Don't worry, there are three more chapters left in this time period after me so theres plenty of reading left! Also, Non-English phrases are translated at the bottom of the fic.**

**Enjoy!**

"Hit me again. Trip-whisk maple over a gunpowder rotgut, Irune Cataclysm, and a toasted stout." Barely twitching at the unusual drink request, the Filipino bartender reached to a cooling rack and flipped out a Dulca Obscura Toasted, catching it high and pulling up on the base of the bottle, catching the cap inverted on the pulse opener, expertly shifting the stream of beer into its bulb.

As the head swelled, the bartender pushed the bulb with a practiced flick, sending it rolling in front of me. A quick swig revealed the superior lace, perfect patterns on the side of the glass running back to the dark carbonated nectar. I placed it on the chilling slot, waiting for my liquor.

Grabbing a frosted bottle filled with an amber liquid, the bartender flipped it hand to hand to unlock the flavor, then tossed it over a shoulder and caught it on the sole of one foot, producing a fresh bottle of Bowie Guthook, twisting open the cap and pouring three fingers.

Flicking up with the foot, reaching back to pluck the container from the air, the Admiral's Choice maple whiskey surging forward, three shots exactly pouring over the rotgut. That bottle too disappeared, and the glass was spun and a silver zippo appeared almost as if from thin air. A shot of flame hit the concoction, setting it ablaze for a few seconds. Finally the glass was slid to its quickchill next to the stout.

I offered a small quiet round of applause, dipping my head and smiling. "_Gwapa kahimoan, gwapa babaye._"

"_Ang galing mong bumasa ng tao!_" She exclaimed, a softly pealing tenor delighting my ears. Good... I had assumed correctly that the bartender was indeed a 'she'.

Suddenly I felt strong hands clamp onto my shoulders from behind. A German-accented voice ground into my ear, "You take drinks like a canister. For this I will not rip your fucking head off for flirting with my _liebste_."

"_Bleiben sie gelassen!_" I yelped.

"Krieger, he was just being nice!"

A growl and then the pressure was released. "Very well, _L__otusblüme_."

"Didn't want the situation to get too out of hand..."

I twirled the double-action out-the-front blade in my fingers from where my hand had been positioned should the bouncer have gotten too angry.

A low chuckle. "Very good, canister. You have robot balls of metal."

"_Willst du mich für dumm verkaufen?_" I asked smirking.

A rolling pattern of strong laughter, much like rich German chocolate of sound, assaulted my ears, as did a meaty palm on my back.

"Ok, I apologize to the canister. Just remember who is Kani: Krieger's." A dangerous look came to his eyes. "Any more flirting from robotboy, doesn't matter what metal, I crush your balls."

I turned in my stool to take in the man's appearance, a powerful upper-body and strong legs, head shaven but blond facial hair impeccably trimmed.

The well-worn Rohm on his hip looked like it wouldn't last much longer, and a bulge by his boot could only be an Arminius holdout.

"Say, how about I get you a Carnifex? Rohm's mass effect pistols are just as inferior as their old gunpowder ones. I'd keep that Arminius, though. Good solid German construct, won't fail for anything normal."

The big man crossed his arms again, impressive muscles bunching up. "Is the canister trying to take my credits now?"

I shook my head and concentrated my focus on the Deal Key: the slight bartender.

"You have a shotgun back there? Didn't think so. I can get you a defense config... how'd you like a surplused out Alliance model? I've got a line on a Defender, that puppy was contracted out to Benelli if you can believe it!"

I could see 'Kani' wavering. "Well... what about the... cost?"

I smiled big and wide.."No cost." I saw her look at me askance. "Well, CREDITS wise. I had a security contract with Chora's Den, I gave them and their... uh, staff, protection equipment; I got an eternal booth and stool, drinks, and a food discount. Such a contract would include routine maintenance and sharpenings of any blades, ordering priority, plus direct line to my inventory."

Now I had merely for the key to engage the tumbler pins and turn... hopefully engaging the check pin...

"It's a good idea, Krieger! You were just complaining about your Rohm on the range last ni-"

"Fine fine. Is good idea yes. These new weapons must be reliable."

"Only the best! Sending forms now..."

This transaction required several pieces of bureaucratic porn: an Alliance Surplus permit, a Citadel business license, a peddler's licence, a Citadel Weapons Dealer certification; then a transfer form and nontaxable merchandise license.

Filling out 'perpetual service' under cost worked before, so many transactions meant less time for scrutiny.

After finishing my drinks, I left a small display of business cards on the bar, as well as two generous stacks of credits, marked 'Kani' and 'Krieger' respectively.

As I walked out of the bar and out into the ward, a flash of color... blonde and red... caught the corner of my eye. I shrugged it off and headed to the nearest transport terminal away from the Dark Star, and caught sight of a throng of people crowded around a public news terminal. I edged up close to hear the anchor.

"..._mandy_ attacked and confirmed destroyed over Alchera by unknown forces. Most crew has been rescued but Commander Jane Shepard, Savior of the Citadel, has been reported dead."

"Heh. 'Savior' my ass. She let the _Destiny Ascension_, its crew, and the Council die!" A turian just coming from the Rodham Expeditions office groused.

"Shut up bugface!" A rather thin looking human female shouted. "Because of her we're even alive!"

My eyes glazed over in memory of last month...

"Give it to me... there! Oh! Yes!" Jen screamed and thrashed, spurring on my impending...

A warbling gargle and heavy, metallic footfalls sounded outside the door, followed closely by slamming.

I jumped up, cursing loudly and grabbing my shotgun from beside the bed we had been using to 'warm up'.

"This fucker better have a good reason..."

Not even caring that I was sweaty, hard, and naked, I slammed the butt of the gun on the doorpad and held it ready, finger outside the trigger guard...

FlashlightheadmovingmechwarblingRIFLEFIREFIREFIRE! 

My finger, curling as it dropped, yanked back on the trigger, sending a hail of flechettes into its body, sending it reeling.

Slamming the manual flechette pump back and letting it spring forward, I loosed another flurry into the abomination, earning a high pitched wail and a quick decomposition as nanites ate the structure.

Running back inside, I grabbed my opossum fur banana hammock and my tac vest, slung the shotgun over my shoulder and loaded my hunting rifle, looking up to see Jen in her snakeskin lingerie and our pistols gripped in her hands. I trotted over and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Behind blade of sharpened steel, behind rifle of even keel, pistols steady shotgun ready, prepared to sell my life dearly for you." She swung both arms over my shoulders and I leaned to kiss her when I heard reports beside my ears as both pistols jerked from recoil.

"Thanks for almost blocking my NPA, baby." she said with a wry smile, not even bothering to look at the now-defunct robot she had just nailed.

"I love you... you know that?"

"Shut up and kiss me..." Our lips met, warm petals meeting firm bacon strips, sweat and saliva mixing, intoxicating us with the oxytocin release.

As we broke the embrace, we headed out dressed as Psycho Tarzan and Kinky Jane, taking shots at the few metal attackers in our area.

"Geth?!" Jen shouted incredulously, pointing at an Avina terminal endlessly repeating, "Please do not attempt to feed the geth."

"I'd say something about them not being seen for nearly 300 years but I believe that would get us nowhere"

Suddenly three separate sets of clanking footfalls and trills sounded behind us as three geth circled us rifles raised. both my rifle and shotgun were blinking red with critical overheat. Civilian models couldn't dissipate heat as fast as the military ones...

"Jen I love you. Behind blade of sharpened steel..." I drew my Ontario, the rubberized grip held tight, sweat grooves keeping friction. A thumb flick and the aftermarket assault vibrofunction engaged, allowing the edges to rend most any material, including most metal alloys.

"Behind rifle of even keel..." I let the cooling rifle fall.

"Pistols steady, shotgun ready..." I dropped the boomstick as well.

"Ready to sell my life dearly for you. RUN!"

I charged the central unit, slashing at its optics. The jarring kiss of high carbon steel on titanium jolted my arm, but a momentum twist and follow-through brought the square blade onto the waspy rifle clutched between metallic fingers, The fields of fire on the other two platforms shifted to track me, I knew I had to at least maim one more for Jen to get away clean and maybe hole up in a shop...

I slashed at the one on my right, catching his barrel. I knew without a doubt the last one would be depressing the firing stud on his rifle, to send killing grains of hyperaccelerated metal into my back, to liquefy my organs, tear through flesh, and powder bones.

_Stay safe Jen... meet you up at the bar..._

Suddenly the boom of a sniper rifle met me, and the rear geth screamed in electronic agony and collapsed. The middle geth, about to brain me with the rest of his weapon, developed a chronic case of dark energy disruption, and collapsed as well. Suddenly a double line of shots spanged into the last geth, and a second boom split the air, destroying the final assailant.

Jen crept out d behind the bulkhead, then ran into my arms, holding tight, both of us tearing up and heaving slightly. "Don't you ever do that to me again you asshole glory hog!"

I never did find out who fired those two rounds, but footage of Commander Shepard's final mission on the Citadel placed her, Dr. T'Soni, and Officer Vakarian within working range of either of the sniper's effective ranges, plus theoretical biotics range.

Snapping back to reality in the Ward's concourse, I headed back to home. I would need to set up a charitable fund line, maybe some in memoriam memorabilia. Figure out the state funeral, obtain a proximity merchant permit...

* * *

I arranged the special edition knives, collectibles, and donation slips on one corner,a sign in the middle of the table making it clear in large lettering flipping between major Citadel languages that no sales that day were for profit, but to go towards the Shepard Foundation for War Orphans and the Alliance Colony Defense Initiative Fund.

I wore my Scout uniform, pressed the night before, all square knot patches sewn perfectly, Woodbadge beads and Gilwell neckerchief perfect, Flaming Arrow camp belt and NYLT buckle set smartly, green pants bloused. I held my Scout Salute at attention as the procession passed from the atrium into the galley.

As the last processant passed, I called out a sharp "Two!" to signal any other Scouts to drop salute.

I returned to behind my booth and opened the vidmonitor to watch the proceedings. Councilor Udina, garbed formally, opened the ceremony, and a Reverend Michael Von Behr led the opening prayer.

Admiral Hackett of the 5th Fleet, stiff backed and level-voiced, presented the posthumous medals to the casket.

Next, a salarian Spectre introduced as Jondam Bau presented Dr. T'Soni and Captain Shepard Spectre citations, bonds, and benefit dataries.

Next, Admiral Anderson gave a character eulogy, gravelly voice lauding the Infiltrator's combat and logistical prowess.

The group sang 'Amazing Grace' in a universal show of camaraderie, repeating in English, Armalese, Khelish, Pala'i, Tuchani, and French, honoring each of the members of the away team.

A collection was taken for the Citadel War Orphan Relief Fund, then the bugler stepped forward and played 'Taps' as the flag was folded. I watched as the parade detail flag handlers snapped the Systems Alliance Flag neatly into place and approached the Captain. When the flag was presented, she shook her head and gestured towards Dr. T'Soni, who looked shocked but received the flag gracefully enough.

I was just getting ready to turn on my register when a blinding light flooded my face and a tall, dark-skinned and dark-haired woman stood with a reporter's camera drone. She offered a hand, in the dominant position. I grasped her hand, using my 'bonecrusher' aggressive business grip and flipping palm positions.

"Khalisa bint-sinan al Jil-augh! _Jilani_, Westerlund News. Don't you feel you are cheapening Shepard's memory by opening a merchant shop selling highly-priced Alliance-stylized goods right by the funeral?"

I gestured to the sign. "Maybe if you took a few moments to browse you'd realize that this particular stand is all nonprofit and charitable."

"But these knives and grip mods are souvenir-type..."

"I'm not holding my gun to your head" I patted my Paladin on it's leather holster for emphasis, 'And forcing you to buy these are you? And if you wish to donate to either fund, I have pledge forms right here."

"But you're so close to the..."

"Listen, _ma'am._ Do you see this patch? This one? This one?" I pointed to the appropriate square knot patches. "Arrow of Light, Eagle Scout, NESA membership. This Lodge flap isn't for show, neither is the 'dangly thing' below it. This pink neckerchief and four beads? If you think for one moment I'm going to disrespect my uniform, my ideals, or the family and comrades of Commander Shepard, flagrantly, in the public eye, or at all, you are utterly mistaken."

"But why no-"

"Look, a man needs to eat, needs to pay the bills. Yet I'm out here donating my TIME for these causes. I'm not salaried, I own this business! I have nothing displayed that I will make a single credit to take home. Are you escrowing your comfortable salary towards one of these causes?"

The camera mercifully switched off.

"You scum..."

"Save it. I'm the weapons merchant here."

She stormed off to go bother someone else, finally allowing some traffic.

Eventually I saw her entangle with two members of the honor guard, who stormed towards my booth. The man grabbed a turian _gladius_, and started making RPG jokes about the woman's camera hitpoints vs the sword's damage and critical multiplier.

The woman replaced it carefully on the table, still talking to her companion. "You look _ridiculous_ doing that in dress blues!"

Perfect, time to bust out the pink cat.

"Are you talking about that reporter bitch, the dark-haired one?" THAT caught their attention right off.

"I don't blame you, though personally, I thought about saying something similar with this." The second time that day, I patted my trusty Paladin. "She was trying to rag on me for cheapening Shepard's memory, or something, by selling knives and pistol grip mods with stylized Alliance markings."

I grabbed one of the laser-etched folders, an AUS8 steel blade and pearl handled, the Alliance symbol proud on the grips and a design of the SSV Normandy etched into the blade where the fuller would be on a fixed knife.

"Thats... actually pretty cool." The man said.

"I'm sure you're more intelligent than that vac-head and know that all my merchandise here is not for profit, all proceeds go towards the two funds mentioned. I also have pledge forms if it would go against your ethics to take something for a donation."

Both space squids looked at my selection, and settled on the original knife I had picked up, a flip stiletto with the likeness of Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, KIA Virmire; and a spring-assist with a blade shaped like the SSV Normandy, the handle shaped as the Alliance symbol.

"Heh. Going to tank with that?" I asked indicating the AUS8 folder.

"It can hold aggro?" the woman returned, smirking.

"And certainly not squishy like your Khar'shan exports."

"Wouldn't my dexterity be limited with this one? The man held up a relatively heavy sword, an asari boarding cutlass.

"On the contrary, biotic ability with that increases overall constitution and adds to reflex saves."

"Yeah, not our class." The woman replied.

The banter continued until they were satisfied with the three knives, having remitted 50 credits per, and an extra 25 credits each in pledge.

And so went the rest of the day, before transmitting the final sum to the charities.

Packing most everything away and sighing, I left and paged Jen to receive the crates. They were sent off on secured, programmable hovertrams, available through the ward business offices.

I checked news on my omnitool, and felt an impact. "Oof!" A boot had stepped on my left foot- not doing much against stingray leather and steel sheathing, but _this_ one didn't need to know that...

"_Futanda!" _I cursed under my breath in Latin, and settled into a fighting stance, disguised as a stance of pain, weight shifted on my right foot.

"Ah, _cantik, _I'm sure I didn't do anything to deserve that!" I smiled ambiguously, adding a hint of discomfort... "Man, if I didn't know any better I'd have said you had something against me!"

I saw recognition flash in the smaller woman's eyes. I had memorized that face from that krogan's picture three weeks ago, and even out of the dank and din of Afterlife, I could recognize her.

"Ah..." She seemed to play at identifying me. "Its you." She pointed a finger at me. In the Malay culture, and most Earth Asian cultures, pointing with the index finger was extremely rude. In the Malay culture, one only pointed at animals or risked extreme insult.

I let my face fall in mock hurt, mostly ignoring the insult. "Its only been a few weeks and you've already forgotten who I am, _cantik?_ And gesturing to me like some common animal, to boot."

"Oh, sure I remember. You're the john who stole Eva from me."

I shifted back to put weight on the left, more to clear any thoughts of me being actually injured than anything else. "_Steal _Eva away? Hardly. I never _stole _her anywhere. In fact, I paid you for the session." I was being coy, trying to push this woman's buttons. I couldn't help but notice how she herself favored a leg and was swaying stiffly, indicating recent injury.

"Oh? So it was just coincidence that Eva disappeared shortly after your little visit?"

"Purely coincidence, _cantik." _My smile widened. Whatever Alliance training this pimp was reported to have had, I was confident I had the advantage. Media, physical, and real-world- I was still in uniform, was on the waiting list for review for Distinguished Eagle Scout (I was sure to keep my wild wick dipping private), had plenty of good business ratings, and trained almost obsessively on the weekends and some off-hours with my personal arsenal.

Ha! She reaches slowly into her hoodie, almost casually. I follow her hand with the eyes of a cynical, experienced duelist. Almost certainly she was fingering a weapon in there...

I caught sight of the outline, a military surplus pistol, couldn't quite make out the model. Was it Carnifex, Paladin... A tube sticking from the back, too long and fat to be a simple extension mod. M11 Suppressor. Had to be.

"Hm, thats good then... It would be a pity if I had to kill someone for taking away my best moneymaker."

Tiring of her feeling in-power and just wanting to finish my day- _first that Khalisa _meretrix, _now this skeleton from my closet-_ I reached behind me and drew my Paladin from its place on my belt and ran my left hand's fingers over its construct, keeping the barrel on the woman no matter the cant.

"Yeah, would be pretty messy for a body to end up on the Presidium right after Commander Shepard's funeral, huh?" I added hardened steel to my voice, brokering no doubt I would still leave said body.

The pimp laughed- of all reactions- and spoke again, "No kidding. But I bet the reporters will have a field day about it. Just imagine the headlines, 'Human Male Eagle Scout Shoots Defenseless Ex-Alliance Female Under Belief of Being Attacked." She withdrew her hand and my own tensed over the Paladin...

And hers came up empty. "Hah! Seriously, you should have seen your face!"

I growled a bit. "_Pergi hisap zakar babi hutan__!" _I relaxed my stance slightly. "Why? What DID my face look like? Besides its usual sexy self, that is." I twirled the Paladin around my hand, finger never staying more than half a second from the trigger guard.

"Hm... like you were constipated from shitting bricks, really. Sure you don't need a laxative?" She was wearing another cocky and self-assured grin. I caught her look of pain, though- It tugged at the corner of her eyes despite her best attempts to hide it. Time for a bit of an experiment...

"Is that a challenge, _cantik?_" I waggled my eyebrows in a terribly exaggerated proposition, and caused her to giggle. This time she had to openly stifle herself and bite her lip.

"Ouch, Hm, tempting. But maybe some other time when the match isn't so one-sided."

"You may be right. I don't think my chivalrous conscious could stand beating up an injured girl."

That earned a jab to the shoulder, putting a crease in my uniform. "I meant one-sided in my favor. Even in a hospital bed I could flay you alive in ten seconds, mister."

"Oh? Care to test that theory? I've already demonstrated that I know how to hold my fire..." I smiled slyly, looking intent. If she decided she wanted to tangle, she would end up in a hospital bed for certain.

She laughed again, and I saw the pain it caused. "In case you've forgotten, I sell the services of others- not _myself._" She stuck out her tongue at me. It appeared childish really- and that seemed to be the point. But then her expression mellowed and turned serious. "At any rate, don't worry about getting killed in your sleep- at least by me anyway. I'm fine with Eva being gone. Prefer it, actually. She has a good heart, Omega's not a place for someone like her and she had already been there too long."

I held my peace, not revealing anything that had been shared with me, or knowledge of knowing any of it.

"Oh well, its been nice seeing you again and all, but I really gotta get going. You know, Business stuff and all. Like I'm sure you have as well."

My eyes went heavy-lidded in my 'openly predatory salesman' look.

"Heh. Actually, if you really don't have any bad blood, actually _are _still an Alliance patriot, actually_ are_ here for the reason I think, how about a commemorative pistol grip mod? Contains a boresight laser, the likeness of Commander Shepard and the _Normandy, _and comes in pearl, checkered, pebbled, and wood? All proceeds from your purchase will go towards the Shepard Foundation for War Orphans. Oh yes, all are compatible with that Suppressor you're packing." I nodded at the bulge under her hoodie. "Don't look so surprised. The M-11 is essentially a more compact Carnifex body with widened handguard and a fat silencer. Heh. Silencing a mass effect weapon... Much more complicated than the old accelerant silencers."

Sighing, the pimptress held up a credit chit. "Wooden grip, please. Big shot salesman thinking he can hustle everybody out of their damn credits... You have a better future as a pirate in the Terminus, anybody ever tell you that?"

"Its for the Alliance, _ma'am."_ I winked.

"Say, how many of those can you get me?" The woman gestured to the Paladin I had replaced on my belt.

"Hm? This baby? Oh, these aren't available on _our _market if you know what I mean. Bu believe me, I have my ways. What do you need, ma'am?"

"What's the best deal can you bag me?"

For all her deadliness, this woman wasn't much of a haggler, I could sense. For that I started off just slightly above the 'haggle-settle'.

"Standard without mods they come 50 to a crate at two-five apiece. So 12500 per crate unmodded. Mods to match? If you want a mixed bag its cheaper at 5 k per crate, one type only is 8." I raised a palm to forestall complaint. "Remember, three rules on this market. Fast, good condition, or cheap, pick two."

"Pirate," she spat, but the word lacked true venom, and further spoilt by a grin over her face.

"I'd rather use our own mods, thanks. Standard, a hundred crates. You know where to find me."

I'd have shook her hand but she abruptly turned and hobbled off. _Too bad. Such a nice backside there..._

The Paladins wouldn't be too big a deal. Just like the old Liberator pistols the old United States churned out by the thousands and air dropped to rebels they supported in the 1940s, Paladins were mass produced and sent to colonies, standard issue to first-gen settlers.

And just like the Mosin Nagant rifles of that same time period, Paladins were highly reliable and rugged. I would merely need to skim off the procurement warehouses...

"Right. Thanks for the business!" I said cheerfully. "Take care, _cantik._ Don't get shot again."

I ambled off back towards the Wards.

I wandered past a cafe, bumping into an asari herding two children, a human man carrying some bags, the children making some minor squabble or other, darting to and fro.

"I apologize ma'am, I should have..." I noticed on her right hand was an Armali-stylized cluster stone.

The diamond on one vertex caught light just slightly different... no matter how much merchandise I move, I can always remember what I've sold.

"Oh no you're ok." The asari gave me a warm, if strained, smile.

"Waaaaiiit a minute..." I took a second glance at the human.

"Is there a problem?" The asari asked, voice cool.

"No problem at all!" I just gave a big smile. "You wouldn't have happened to be in Florida on Earth a few years back when you got that, were you?" I gestured to the band on her finger, also noting the official bondring on her left.

"Uh, why..."

"How'd you get here?" The man finally placed me as the one who sold him the ring-and a copy of Fornax- before I moved to the Citadel.

I chuckled. "Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can I cut ya? Small galaxy. I expanded and moved here with my girlfriend, I just had a memorial line booth set up in the atrium outside the funeral."

The man shook his head. "Pain cookies and oreos, its like we're in somebody's dream."

"Obviously you had a successful bonding..." A quick glance at the two young asari... "And congratulations!" I studied the asari quickly again and let out a small grin. "Doubly so..." Did the human even know yet? Ah well, his own affairs.

I shook their hands and disengaged myself, headed back home to Jen.

* * *

A few months had passed, and I had taken to travelling even more heavily armed than before. Radical species gangs had taken to ambushing humans, vandalizing homes and businesses.

Somehow the attacks on my storefront dropped off after a few turians ended up missing fringe, batarians missing eyes, salarians with cloven horns and asari newly afflicted with lifelong migraines from disruption. I even had to fight off an elcor gang once. I had to try to keep from laughing when the bosscor called me out.

"Badassfully: You! Human fecal deposit! With naked menace: We are going to carve out your spleen and drink from it. Smugly: You cannot escape the wrath of the Big Dekuuna Kahunas."

Shaking my head at the memory- where I just climbed atop the bosscor's drape, sat down then started calling him 'Seabiscuit'.

They plodded off in shame as I assigned each one a name and showed my Paladin with the piercing mod.

"Bye Flag! Bye Black Beauty! Bye Budweiser!"

Reverting from memory, opening the grate to my store, I began my early morning preparations for business.

After a fairly slow business day, I rang Jen to meet me at the Dark Star later. Krieger had been hitting the range more often, causing maintenance and cleaning to pop up on his Carnifex and the bar's Defender often; I needed to bring them by anyways.

Locking my cases, dimming the lights and activating the booby traps, I ran a hand over tired eyes and frazzled face, then double checked my arsenal, donned my leather jacket and headed out into the ward.

I took the longer way, as Jen was finishing a class and would be later anyhow, walking instead of taking transportation.

Wouldn't necessarily want to take public transportation in this part of the ward anyways...

I reflected on the five months or so since the funeral. Many talking heads dismissed the late Commander's claims of Robo Eldritch out of hand, still others tenaciously held to the opinion that the commander had something, if even a pattern, correct.

Colonies had started disappearing on the frontier, the entire settlements going dark and not being heard from again. I shivered to think of how one decision could have put my family on Mindoir, Eden Prime, Feros, Elysium, Xyn's Folly, Cheltrin... but there really wasn't any sense on dwelling on possible alternate realities. Whichever reality I was grounded in was the one I would concern myself with.

But figuring out that reality... first I had dismissed these "Reapers". It stank of the same line of thought as Illuminati or Vatican or Bitburger Conference conspiracy theories; albeit MUCH darker.

But I am a deductionist... Sure the word is 'deducer', but 'deductionist' sounds cool. I had to tell myself that every time...

The various ancient galactic civilizations discovered- Inusannon, Prothean, etc... The ones that didn't have a known cause of extinction fit into slots of 50,000 years or so apiece.

I had pored over xenoarchaeology dissertations, educational programs, research notes... and no matter what, unless two or more species were locked in genocidal conflict, scientific overreach, or civil war, disappearances were cyclical.

I approached the stairs outside the bar and met Jen, dressed simply enough but still sexy as hell.

A brown dress and underbust corset, lips red and hair sparkly and curly as always graced my love. I looked at her longingly.

"Damn it! theres no Tupari machine for a quickie..."

Chora's Den had been wiped out by a piece of debris from the massive construct that the fleets and Shepard had fought. I had visited to see what had become of it- and the piece had yet to be moved.

I prided myself on discernment, the ability to _tell _neutral from benevolent from malevolent.

The feeling I got near the piece was one of utter _unholiness, _beyond even the malevolence I generally associated with dark deeds.

I had left the concourse, vowing to not return to the tainted area, and thus had sought a new contract 5 months previous.

We walked in to a neutral but energetic beat, set to maintain current moods instead of amplify or suppress. Heavy bass beats bored into my brain, a gentle melody around middle C, rarely making harmonic appoggiatura or deviating from accepted theory progression soothed my brainwaves slightly but kept my alertness stable.I reached a hand to where I knew Krieger would be standing, hooking the collapsed Carnifex to its place.

"If you shot less like a _greis _and more like a _Junger Mann, _I might not have to clean your pistol so much!"

"Haha, _fick dich, Arschloch_! Kani pays the canister to be a good little robotboy and clean the guns. So you will clean the guns or I crush your robot balls."

"_Zeig mir deine Pflaume_! _Ich will dich ficken_ if you keep talking dirty to me like that, Krieger." We all three laughed a bit at our usual exchanges of insults.

Jen and I ordered our drinks after passing the Defender to Kani, and with the usual flair and elan, set up our drinks.

"You could probably make an Old Milwaukee look good." I teased.

As if on cue, a young salarian surrounded by friends ordered some of the swill. Tossing a wink, Kani grabbed a beer glass, attached some silicone piping to the tap, somehow rolled the glass between the fingers of one hand while shooting perfect arcs of the inferior beer into it.

Turning to Jen, I said: "Don't even bother..."

Jen and I returned to our usual bar conversation: hot girls, extranet comics, and my daring adventures making knife and jewelry sales, and what we would do that night...

"Please please please can we use that vid you took on Omega? You can even wear your tux!"

"The cueboning one? Sure. Hey, I might be able to get you a pair of earrings like that. Gold, teardrops with diamond embeds in the stone..."

"Wait a minute... I've seen a pair like that before." Kani was looking at me, eyes slightly squinted in memory.

"I gave a pair away actually. I'd brought them with me on a business trip."

"Where'd you go?"

My eyes squinted. That particular pair I'd grabbed from a Texan-based business that was liquidating and specialized in exporting. Another company had only recently picked up the design, but it never really had much market penetration.

"Ah, a clinic on Omega needed a rush order of medical scalpels and stuff. I, uh, sampled of one of Afterlife's best."

"Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire!" Jen giggled. "Damn, I could get off to those boobs all night long..."

I chuckled. "Yep. In fact, we're about to go use that recording as some lighter fluid..."

"Hold on... Eva Harper?"

"Patronized her?" I quirked a smile. "Too bad her specialty is on male organs..."

Kani's lips fell into a straight line. "So you're the mysterious john who gave her those earrings. You know she lives here on the Citadel now?"

My heart skipped a beat and my eyes widened. It takes a LOT to surprise me. "So you DO know her? Small galaxy..."

"Oh my gosh! I want to go a round with her!" Jen was practically bouncing in her barstool already.

"Jen.. Ah, probably best to save it for now." I looked up at Kani. "How is she? Steady job? Living well?"

The bartender quirked an eyebrow. "Ah... yeah, she's pretty stable. At least, more so than when she first came here. She built up some popularity in Zakera Ward, works in a shooting range, and actually pops in here from time to time..."

I nodded. "Glad to hear it. I knew 8 was barely a pittance for starting a new life, but it was what I had extra at the time." I furrowed my brow a bit. "A shooting range, eh? The one y'all use?"

"Yeah, actually," Kani replied. "I try to meet her up there when she's on the clock, but Krieger tends to sit out on those days. He's, uh, not a fan."

"Not a fa- Ohhhhhhh. Right. Which is why..." I glanced around and whispered, "I can't call you _gwapa babaye._"

"Canister, you fucker! I HEARD THAT!" Krieger's voice bellowed from his corner.

"Oh, need aids for your _greis_ ears?" I joked into the bar bug.

Kani coughed to hide a snort.

"Your robotboy balls are in jeopardy!" The shout came again.

We all laughed again and I took Jen's arm to leave.

Suddenly as I turned, a bronzed specter from so many memories and hot nights walked in. Green eyes set steely, a black leather jacket set over a jade green shirt, black pants completing the ensemble. I gave her a quick once-over and could make out a bulge at her abdomen. Probably wouldn't be wise to joke about how much food could be bought for eight thousand credits... Until she stepped closer and I saw the shape of the bulge.

Pregnant then.

Also wouldn't be wise to ask about old habits dying 'hard'.

I plastered a grin on my face. "Eva! Kani was just talking about you. All in..." I coughed slightly, "...'glowing' terms! I hear you've got yourself a nice setup here!"

"Something like that."

Concern contracted my brow slightly. "Are you- ok, I'm just going to ask. Are you and the baby doing well?"

"As well as a whore that ended up knocked up could possibly be doing. Funny I should run into you again."

"I was about to mention that as well. This is Jen, by the way. No you're not in trouble with her. And Jen, this is Eva from your smokin hot fantasies."

"Pleasure to meet you Jen, I'm sure."

Jen's smile lit up full force, one I always found comparable to a dreadnought's muzzle flare. "Of course! I'd love to talk with you and chill sometime. Do you like sushi? I love sushi!"

I chuckled. "She never talks this much after just meeting someone."

"As a matter of fact, I love the stuff myself. They have a few great places here."

"Been to Matoi yet?" She gushed.

"Actually no, I haven't made it to that one just yet. I've been to a few around Zakera, but that's about it."

"Its in one of the access halls actually, Earth-authentic Japanese-Korean fusion!"

"I would love to get to know you, perhaps we can go sometime. My treat for the way Tiberius has treated me."

Jen giggled. "Maybe I can show you how I treat him..."

Cutting off Jen before I would get too distracted, I put a hand on Eva's shoulder. "I don't want to be disrespectful, but have you figured out the father?"

"Well, I am about six months pregnant and you were the last human I had seen in ages."

Few things can affect me strongly. Aside from the baser pleasures of the flesh or an over indulgence in pleasures of the drink, I am generally unflappable.

But that last sentence ran over me like a maglev train on full speed. I felt Jen's hand grip mine, not entirely friendly.

I struggled to form words, eyes bugged out like a child's playing poker the first time.

My usual smoothness and social alacrity had failed me, and I was unsure _what_ emotion I should be feeling.

Joy, that I helped create new life?

Revulsion, that I had done so with another woman even with permission?

Ecstacy at starting a legacy?

Loss at Jen... SURELY she would kick me in my ever-blue balls and leave me...

The next thoughts to go through my mind were logic, pure cold and simple. I made x amount usually, child care was y amount, I had overhead and expenses z.

X could still cover z and y.

I finally opened my voice box to get across what I was feeling, this tumult of hope tainted by worry...

"I see."

It was all I could manage.

"I don't need anything from you. You aren't obligated to me in anyway."

"Not obligated? I... My... But the..."

"I have to go, Tiberius." Her cold eyes softened slightly. "But I would like to get to know the both of you."

I knew better than to pursue her at that point, especially with Jen still tugging at my arm. I closed my eyes trying to steady the tide of stress now causing my heart to beat irregularly, clawing at my throat and spasming me. _Please let my last memory of Jen be pleasant..._

Astonishingly, the look she had wasn't raw fury, accusatory, or even defeated.

"Baby, I'm hurt." _Here we go... _"I know you followed the rules, but I think perhaps we should lay off on the openness a bit."

I nodded, mute, letting her speak.

"Do you earn enough to send her any support?"

"I can set up a trust, yes. It won't come out of your school fund, our bills, or anything necessary. I'll just only eat out here."

"You'd better not stop eating out me, because that would be the start to getting me to feel better. After this..." She slapped me, not hard, but enough that I got the picture.

"Is there..."

"I just need to come to grips with this. Now shut up and do as I say tonight."

* * *

Over the next two months Jen and I would sit and visit, shoot on the range she worked at, or go on movie nights with Eva, learning more about this mysterious character that had become connected with us in a very intimate way. Jen was able to connect with her on a very friendly level, listening to her about her experiences on Omega, always with a friendly arm. If she needed a night at her apartment or to be with her own friends- including a shadowy figure disclosed only as 'Vido'- We never questioned her. A woman so used to being constrained, tasting freedom... I wanted her to enjoy as much as possible.

For my part I offered my grounding and fascination in psychology, identifying issues and prodding and poking them until they became either neutralized or on the mend. Slowly but surely, the dangerous vixen persona was let down around us. I did my best to help her keep busy, dealing with the range she worked at, hiring her part time to work the phones or inventory or paperwork, imparting some of my knowledge on blade sparring, metallurgy, and quick identification of most military and civilian weaponry.

I had taken to frequenting the gallery, blasting through tactical simulators and stationary targets with ease.

Generally, my shooting practice involved long range with my hunting rifle, dynamic close with the shotgun, and pop up tactical on my Paladin, as well as our other conceal pistols. I had gotten to the point where a carefully planned, lined, and executed shot was performed in both 5 seconds and 5 milliseconds- dark times would soon be upon us and I needed every edge I could get.

I even met the slimy Vido once, but I didn't really worry too much for Eva,as she was pretty good with the dagger she had brought and carried since Omega, and during self-defense teaching sessions I mainly instructed on grapple stabs and distance-building, how to never expose an arm or overextend the weapon hand.

I couldn't count the number of times after a _menage a trois _I would fall asleep with Jen atop me, Eva snuggled in with her at my side, and my hand over her belly, feeling my son kick and move.

Or the times when Jen let me with Eva alone, I would sleep sideways, arm draped below the bulge, breath and mustache tickling at her ear.

_My son._

Jen would accompany Eva to the clinic for her checkups and progress updates now whenever Kani couldn't make it, offering support and friendship.

When the time drew close for her to deliver, the three of us discussed possible names.

"To be completely honest, I have no idea where to even start thinking of possible names." I said, overwhelmed at how this was _actually_ happening.

Eva countered, "Well, you already donated half the material, surely you can donate an idea."

"What about 'Matthew'?" Jen piped up.

I looked at her, slightly shocked. She barely had any interest in languages, but 'Matthew' and 'Tiberius' shared the same meaning.

'Gift of God'.

"I think that would be great!" Eva said, a big grin on her face.

"Matthew... yes." My eyes unfocused, and the fantasies I had been having, of holding a bundle of various body fluids and milk-breath, of falls and attempts to eat everything, of baby giggles and hellish screams, of romping in the park and instruction in the museums... Finally had a name.

"Matthew."

* * *

One day when I had just gotten back from the shop, Eva was waiting, looking slightly preoccupied, and was holding an object behind her back.

"Tiberius, do you have a minute? Theres something I want to show you."

"For you? Always, Mellita. What do you need?" I turned my full gaze on her.

"I was given something from a woman, a knife that I was thinking of using other than this old thing I keep strapped on me. I wanted to know your thoughts on it." She still looked a bit troubled. My brow furrowed ever so slightly. She had a very good knife already, and from some of her darker stories, it was very lethal. "Well, the one you keep is a tactical-rated 1355 carbon let me see the new one?"

She drew the blade, gaudy and ornate as it was, it HAD to be of Asian origin...

"I think it might be a little long, but it has a special meaning behind it."

"Well, that looks ceremonial... but actually 10" is the threshold for a tactical knife. Lets take a look at this... Whoa. Well, thats an ancient _tamehagene-_analogueactually, Chinese forged. Thats Mandarin in the scrolling, see? 'Power, strength, independence'. Its got a full tang, that quartz should hold up to moderate use. The gems are inset enough to... topaz, very interesting. If I had to guess the meaning... was the giver Asian? The gifting of a knife is a symbol of severing ti... Wait. Did this come from..." I turned my head slightly to turn a quizzical eye on her.

"It's from Vanessa Valentine. You may have met her once, back when we first saw each other on Omega."

VV again... that woman just kept popping up... Without really thinking, I began to chuckle low.

"Really? You think this is funny?" Eva was now glaring at me, her green eyes hardening.

I shook my head and lightly pinched my nose to arrest my outburst. "Nonono... not that. Though that IS a fond memory. You see, remember the day of Commander Shepard's funeral?"

"I do." She was still giving me the glare.

"I had obtained a proximity permit for a stand right outside the atrium of where the services were held. Mods, commemorative knives... all for these two causes, right? Well who should run into me but _her, _all bruised and battered. No shit, first I told her to suck off a wild boar, then I had an Elcor Standoff with her, guns- well, _my_ gun- drawn, right outside the hall's entrance. She mentioned that, in her stone cold soul, she preferred you off Omega because you had a good heart. Which I myself have seen, Mellita."

"I hope that woman gets what's coming to her. I just know that this means that she won't be looking for me. I want it as a reminder of what I went through, of what I will never return to. " Eva's fire was burning bright, though at the demons of her past now. Her fingers absently trailed along the grind of the edge, and she looked into the dull reflections, distorting the light and providing an almost hypnotic fixative.

I closed the distance between us and placed my hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing the tension away. "She already paid me for the black market goods she wanted so I don't care what happens to her. And I hope you never have to return to that life either."

"As long as I have you and my family I don't see that happening love." Eva closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. I ran warm kisses up her neck and rested my hands over the swelling of her belly. "Good. You are worth more than a few thousand credits and an hour."

As it turns out, that wasn't the wisest comment I could have made.

She fiercely twisted in my hold, breaking from my grasp. Her eyes blazed with fury. "You asshole!"

My eyes flew open and I felt the sickening clutch of fear claw into my gut.

"Shit, I didn't mean it like that! I meant that you are a _person, _not some object to be used and thrown away. You are a treasure of precious stones, not a lump of plastic to be used and forgotten. And soon, the mother of our child." With effort I smoothed my features back out, eyes earnest and loving.

"You just know all the right things to say don't you?" Eva's fury had abated.

Further words would do nothing for me... so I stroked her left cheek and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, nose, then finally on her lips. In response I received a small smile and a look of adoration, a rare glimpse into her soul.

Coughing just a bit, I gestured to the knife still in her hands, a grin teasing at my lips. Using fingertips to circle her cheek gently, and purred, "Gonna test that out soon?"

My words caused her to raise an eyebrow and gently bite her lower lip. "I love the way your mind thinks."

"And love the way you feel..." A primal heat had risen into my gaze, feeling her softness.

"Do you now? I'm sure there are things we haven't tried yet."

I allowed my eyes to lock up and away in a thinking position, mouth quirked in a lopsided grin. "Do I need to run to the shop and bust out those flails and maces I just got in? OH YEAH... I also have that crate of stingray leather gloves... closest to turian you can get without violating a plethora of galactic laws..."

"I'm listening Tiby, are we going to just talk about this all night or..." Her voice had risen to almost a squeak.

I produced the shop keys and jiggled them playfully. "I've got the keys right here... The keys to sweet, hot, and dangerous lovemaking..." She reached a hand out and grabbed the keys from me, sashaying away and smiling at me over her shoulder.

* * *

The delivery was natural and without complications, and a perfectly healthy baby boy, at a whopping 4.42 kilos was soon scrubbed down and placed gently into Evas arm's.

The little sack of wrinkles and vocals cried for a bit, drawing its first breaths and processing its first foray into the stark reality of the world. When it had calmed, earthen-brown eyes looked at me with a familiar intensity. I knew that I was perceived as merely a blob of true color, the filtering areas of the brain still developing, but those eyes stared into me, from where he lay clutched safe to Eva's breast, Jen cooing and petting him.

"He just looks so..." Kani softly said, almond eyes filled with wonder.

Those eyes suddenly softened, mouth spread wide, and the first baby giggle of thousands escaped his lips.

And with that slightest of sounds, I, Tiberius, survivor of many hardships, weekend bad boy, stony character... began to cry.

We settled into a pattern, fairly strange at that, but it turns out three parents can rotate on a babywatching schedule so no one is exhausted beyond breaking.

I of course made sure no one would think about getting parenting books... What use was monetized advice from disconnected theorists?

I lived by the motto: _Accutus mens, etiam accutior sal _ for my parenting, darn it.

Because of the sheer amount of oxytocin being secreted by the two women, either one could breastfeed Matthew. I would often chuckle at this, how my son was already taking after his daddy and clamping his mouth around as many boobies as possible.

It was also helpful whenever we got the aching, heated need, one would take the stinky bundle to a park or a show or a museum while the other two grunted and heaved and sought release back home.

All was peaceful with the three of us and our joy; no matter how many colonies went dark, we were safe and secure on the Citadel. Business was steady, there were no worries outside of the amount of diapers in stock, and if Matthew left one mammary full of milk? I like my coffee with extra milk, thank you very much.

We were cohesive, unbreakable.

At least, so I thought.

**Non-English Phrases and Words Used:**

_Gwapa kahimoan, gwapa babaye._: Bisaya, "Beautiful performance, beautiful woman"

_Ang galing mong bumasa ng tao: _Tagalog, "You read people so well"

_Bleiben sie gelassen!: _German,_ "_Calm down!"

_Liebste: _German, "Darling"

_Lotusblüme: _German, "Lotus flower"

_Willst du mich für dumm verkaufen: _German, "Will you take me for a fool?"

_Gladius: _Latin, "Short sword"

_Meretrix: _Latin, "Bitch"

_Futanda!: _Latin, "You must be fucked"

_cantik: _Bahasa, "Beautiful"

_Pergi hisap zakar babi hutan: _Bahasa, "Go suck off a wild boar"

_greis: _German, "Old man"

_Junger Mann: _German, "Young man"

_fick dich, Arschloch: _German, "Fuck you, asshole"

_Zeig mir deine Pflaume: _German, "Show me your pussy"

_Ich will dich ficken: _German, "I want to fuck you"

_gwapa babaye:_ Bisaya, "Beautiful woman"

_mellita: _Latin, "sweetened of honey"

_Menage a trois: _French, "Three way"

_Accutus mens, etiam accutior sal: _Latin, "Sharp mind, even sharper wit"

**Other Terms**

NPA: Natural Point of Aim


	18. Eva Harper 2: Gifts, Curses

**Eva Harper 2: Gifts, Curses**

**Written and Submitted by bronzedamazon**

Depressed? Was that the word that she would use to describe herself at this point? No, Eva was a great many things but not depressed. Maybe broken would have been the word to describe her at this impasse in her life, maybe the word disappointed even, but not depressed. She sat staring at the bartender, looking at the short black hair and watching the bottles as they were spun in the air for flair. Eva had never been the type to pick up someone at a bar, but she was bored and looking for a distraction from the memories that had started to fill her head again. Anything was better than reliving her past as she sat there alone trying to swallow the pain like it was the liquid in her glass.

Eva had reached the Citadel a few weeks ago after a guy at the clinic on Omega named Dylan had helped her get away from Vanessa Valentine. Vanessa, the name made Eva's blood run cold and the very core if her turn to ice, she assumed that it was only normal to hate your ex-pimp. The woman had never treated her as poorly as the older asari had, but she still used her in ways that had only benefited herself in the end. Her escape and lifestyle had continued to haunt her and plague like a soldier that had post-traumatic stress syndrome. The flashbacks had been the worst part for Eva, it was like reliving every moment for the very first time. Usually she would end up at the bar, looking at for an escape at the bottom of a glass.

She closed her eyes for just a moment and suddenly Eva was in her red velour dress. It was the same dress that she had worn the night she met Tiberius, her last John that had changed her life for the better. She slid into the booth beside Valentine and kept her eyes down and away from the woman who for lack of a better word, owned her. Property, the meaning of the expression rattled in her thoughts, she was nothing but property for someone that would sell her like she didn't matter. Eva wanted to pick a fight with Vanessa, to attempt to claw her way away from the meaningless existence that was being thrust upon her. Rather than take a stand for herself she just sat there, wrapped in the chains of being an "asset" to the business.

She opened her eyes slowly and took a look at her hands that were clenched around the glass of amaretto. She glanced down to see her short black skirt and black knee high boots. Eva reminded herself that she wasn't a prostitute anymore, that things had changed and she had changed with them. Eva now carried herself like the spiteful, vindictive woman that her life had changed her into, no longer scared of what might be lurking around the next corner. She could feel a smile pass her lips as she noticed the tall, brick house of a man that quietly watched the bartender. She brushed her blonde hair back from her eyes as she took another drink, letting it fill her mouth and sit under her tongue for a moment before she swallowed.

"If… it's alright to ask… how did you come to work here? As my… pimp, I mean." Eva looked at her hands and back to the smooth porcelain face of Vanessa Valentine. She couldn't understand how this woman how was so much smaller than her yet was able to stand up against the arrogant asari that had imprisoned her. Eva looked at Vanessa as she spoke, consuming the words of her story as they fell from her mouth like a thick poison that was deadly to her fragile psyche. Vanessa had been ruthless and that had made all the difference in their stories. Where Eva had been weak and submitted for fear of what she would lose, this woman had nothing to be taken from her and was able to overpower the pimptress.

The ice in her glass clinked as Eva finished her drink and placed it on the counter, signaling that she was ready for a refill. She looked at her green blouse that showed more skin than it actually covered, peering at her cleavage that was sitting perfectly in her lacey black push up bra. It's one thing that had changed since her time in Omega, she wasn't scared of her body any longer. She relished in the fact her appearance was so powerful that people would pay to simply be around her. Eva had come to think of herself as a huntress, looking for her next victim that would satiate her abnormal fetishes that she had developed over her time in the brothel. She was no longer the PG-13 little girl that had left the colony so long ago, nor was she as naïve either. The blade that she kept hidden against her thigh was a reminder of what that could cost her, and the beatings that she had taken as a result.

She craned her neck down the corridor that Tiberius had used to find her and took off the opposite direction. Eva had heard stories about a clinic on Omega, supposedly there was some human that had gained a reputation for helping people down on their luck and she was determined to find him. She had grabbed the one weapon she had kept in her quarters in case a John had tried anything stupid, a knife that she could strap against her outer thigh. She still remembered the first time she had to kill someone, a batarian named Kripka who decided he would beat her because he had issues keeping it up. After about three strikes she had stabbed him up, going through the neck and into his cranium. Vanessa had come in and given her an evil smile as they carried out the dead batarian, leaving Eva to clean the mess she had made in her room. Eva had cried as she sat on the floor scrubbing the dark color liquid on her hands and knees alone in her room.

Eva smiles at the bartender as another drink is placed in front her. Flirting, the idea seemed foreign to her as she tried to give a halfhearted smile. Eva paused for a moment, trying to figure out if the person who was occasionally giving her attention was a man or a woman. She then forced the thought from her head, telling herself that it didn't matter anyway. Eva wasn't here looking for some whirlwind romance, it was the physical connection she yearned for, the need to get off and leave everything else back in reality. She wanted to find someone that could take her behind closed doors so that she could lose herself in an evening of blind debauchery, to let it kill the pain and torment that she felt sitting at the bar staring into space. Even if it was just a one night stand, something was better than nothing at this point, feeling anything besides hate and pain would be a welcome relief.

She ran barefooted through Omega towards the clinic on the other side of the apartments. She kept her eyes cast down, trying not to notice the looks she was getting as she made her way through the sea of faces. Eva recognized some of the people as she walked, like the crazy batarian preacher who had come to see her at one point. He called her a blight while he huffed and puffed on top of her, telling her to scream for him to stop while he relieved himself of the pressures of preaching on a soap box. She shuddered as she scurried past him, trying to avoid meeting his eyes like she did when they were in bed together. The only thing she wanted was off Omega, anywhere was better than here.

Eva shook her head and felt for her knife on her thigh. It was still there, waiting and hiding in case she needed it. She had become dependent on the feeling of the cold steel against her leg for protection, it soothed her as the blade grazed against her tan skin. She looked around the bar, seeing if there was someone that she needed to be leery of. When she had first hit the Citadel she had found that she had a knack for attracting the wrong kind of company, the kind that thought you were weaker than you were, that didn't know how hardened you were from being a whore who was beaten down emotionally for months on end.

"Thank you gods." Eva walked up to the clinic while she constantly looked over her shoulder, she was waiting for someone to grab her and take her back to the pit she was desperately trying to escape.

"Ma'am? Are you okay?" A receptionist with long black hair in a tight knit bun looked at Eva as she grabbed her elbow of her right arm with her left hand.

"I need to speak with a human, I don't know his name but he's supposed to help people." Eva could feel tears fill her eyes as she looked at the receptionist, watching herself get judged by a woman who knew nothing of her story. She was so tired of people looking at her like she was just some pathetic waste of flesh and blood, the look seeped into Eva as the receptionist held one finger up to her, signaling her to wait.

"Can I get your name please?" The woman asked her coldly while she punched buttons on the console in front of her.

"I'm Eva Harper," She tried to whisper so that the patrons around wouldn't hear.

"Eva? The one from the…"

"Yes! Now shhh," Eva tried to keep from screaming at her, "I'm trying not to attract attention if you don't mind."

"Of course, a woman of your stature and reputation wouldn't want it known that you were coming to a clinic."

"Lady, I'm telling you right now that I'm not above killing you to get the hell out of here. If you put me in jeopardy of going back to that horrible place…" Eva stopped herself from continuing to snarl at the receptionist as a young man came into view.

"Why don't you come with me?" He smiled genuinely at Eva as he motioned her to come back past the guarded reception area, "I'm sure that you are just having a bad day, I'll do what I can to help you through it. My name is Dylan Owens, I'm guessing I was the one that you were looking for?"

Eva adjusted her green blouse, pulling down the front and showing more cleavage as she sat down another empty glass. She watched as the bartender made her way over to her again and peered down her shirt. Eva smiles, it was nice having bait on the front of your body when you went hunting, it reminded her of the fish she read about on the extranet that dangled the little light in front of their mouth, waiting for the perfect moment to up and devour the un-expecting prey. The bartender filled her glass and placed it back on the bar for the fourth time in front of Eva. She watched as the person winked at her before they scampered back to the quiet man that continued watched the two of them.

"I need to get out of here. I can't go back to that life I was living." Eva whispered to Dylan as they walked, "There are rumors that you help people, find ways to get them off of Omega."

"Well, I do what I can for those that can't. " Dylan looks at her as he makes his way to a metal tray.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to start by giving you a few doses of anti-biotics. There wouldn't be a point of getting you off of Omega just to die on route to the Citadel. Been awhile since you've seen a doctor?"

"Not unless they were a paying customer, so I suppose that you could say that." Eva winces as she's stuck by Dylan, "Damn!"

"After what you've been through I doubt that a little prick like that would really make you say damn."

"Thanks, glad to know that you think of me as some common street whore too." Eva rubs her arms and sighs.

"Wait, what? No, I meant I'm sure that you've been through a lot emotionally and physically. I didn't mean that.. Ha ha ha.." Dylan laughed slowly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't mean anything by it, honest."

"Right, I guess I'm sorry too. It's nothing personal. So can you help me? I have credits that I was given, and I have to move quickly. If Valentine figures out that I left her…"

"You mean that woman that took over the brothel on the other side of Afterlife? Yeah, you weren't kidding about needing an escape from here were you?" Dylan started to rummage in a storage bin behind the medical instruments.

"No, and I'm willing to pay you to help me. I can't go back, and being that I've made a name for myself I can't stay here."

"Stop worrying so much about it Eva. I know just the thing to get you off Omega. Just put these on," Dylan hands her some clothes that match his own, "And pull back your hair and I'll get the rest taken care of."

"Just like that? Had I known I would have come here a long time ago."

"Just like that. I'll get you a fake medical ID badge that should get you on a ship leaving in the next few hours."

Dylan's smile and been burned into her brain since that moment. Eva had almost forgotten what it was like to be treated like a normal human being rather than a piece of meat that was sold to the highest paying customer. She fidgeted with the earrings that she had sworn she would never take off, the ones that Tiberius had given her for her final act as Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire. That man had given her a way to escape her past and the courage to face her future. Future, the word still tasted bitter as she whispered it to the void that she had created around her. She used to think that things happened for a reason, that people were inherently good and had been corrupted by circumstances of their existence. At this point is seemed like nothing more than philosophical bullshit that was taught to her in order to blind her to the cruel world that had swallowed the woman she used to be whole.

"This one's on the house, gorgeous," the voice of the bartender startled Eva from her thoughts and brought her screaming back to reality.

"Wait… so you're a girl?"

"Don't go spreading it around, now." The bartender gave her a quick smile as she grabbed something from below the bar. Eva had frequented the Dark Star enough to know the name of the bartender that did all the tricks for the customers that came in looking for a show. She pressed her breasts together and decided to try making a move on her.

"You're Kani, right? Come find me when you get off work. I'll be here."

"Sure thing. What's your name?" Kani's eyes dipped low again as she took another look at Eva's chest.

"Eva Harper."

"See you in a bit, Eva." As Kani moved back over to her customers Eva took another sip of the drink that she had been given. _Gorgeous_, she had called her. She smiled coyly as she put the glass back to her lips.

Stepping foot onto the Citadel in the medical attire she had been given she reported for in processing at the Citadel. For the first time in almost a year, Eva was able to give her name without the shame that came attached with it. No one on the Citadel would know that she was the one of the priciest whores on Omega, she actually had a chance to start over and make a life for herself. Getting past the checkpoints and the questions she searched the wards for someone who would take cash for an apartment, a place where she could feel safe behind a locked door.

"I need a place." Eva said flatly as she walked into what she believed was an apartment locator service,

"Something away from the scum of the universe but nothing so pricey I can't afford it." The turian behind the counter took a look at Eva in her medical get up and flexed his mandibles.

"How much you looking to spend human?"

"Thousand a month, I want utilities included and I want to be able to put my own encryption on the lock."

"Easy enough." His tapped on the console a few times, letting it the bright orange pulses fade before he pushed the screen again, "I have this one, just became available last week." Eva glances at the screen and nods her head.

"It will work, but in that area I'll only pay eight hundred."

"You trying to cheat me human?" His mandibles pressed firmly against his face as he leaned over the counter.

"Then don't let me rent the damn thing." Eva waved her hand at him in dismissal, "I'll find someone else that's willing to take two months' rent up front." He paused as he took another look at Eva.

"Very well, it's yours." Eva smirked coyly. A place of her own, away from the people of Omega, away from the people that had used her for so long like she was nothing.

She finished her glass and looked at the bartender. Eva had surpassed her tolerance for the sweet stuff two glasses back and knew that it was time for her companion for the evening to get off work. The huge blonde man had been glowering at her since Kani had handed her the drink, letting Eva know that maybe waiting outside of the bar would be better. She threw down some credit chits and moved to the door, leaning her back against the wall and waiting for Kani to finish cleaning the bar.

"Who is he to you, anyway? He's been glaring at me the entire time," Eva asked Kani when she finally approached, nodding her head in jest to the man that was looking at her with fire in his eyes.

"Hm? Oh, that's Krieger, my bodyguard. I told him to buzz off for the night so he's a bit peeved at me. No need to worry about him. So… My place is kind of unavailable right now. How about we take this to yours?" Eva smiled deviously as she started back to her place, ripe with anticipation from the hunt.

* * *

Eva moaned as she felt the buildup of another orgasm start to rise in between her legs. She started to shake as Kani continued to make the swirling motion with her tongue, the very same technique that she had been using to make her come since they had started their escapades hours ago. She arched her back as she ran her fingers through the soft, black hair of this woman who continued to bring her closer and closer to a divine climax. Eva bit her bottom lip, tasting the iron in her blood from where she had pierced it earlier with her teeth. Kani locked her arms around Eva's legs as she started to come, keeping her stuck in a position where she couldn't pull away from her. Kani continued to lick the sweet little bud of Eva's, making her scream out in a final moment of ecstasy.

It was so different than the other times she had taken some random person for a night of hot rampant sex. The moment that Eva had stared to come, she could feel her guard falter and her emotions sweep back over her. She laid there silently beside Kani as she played with her long blonde hair. Eva couldn't push away the things that had been torturing her any longer and tears started to flood her green eyes.

"What… wait, what did I do?" Kani instinctively pulled away from Eva, making her shudder again at how alone she really was.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. You were wonderful. It's just…" Eva couldn't stop it this time, it was just too much for her to do alone anymore. The abuse, the taunts, how she could have died in that hell hole of an existence back on Omega, all she could do was cry in uncontrollable sobs that came from her soul.

"What has life thrown at you and what can I do to help?" Kani's voice was soothing and elicited Eva to spill everything to the woman that she barely knew. She told her about the asari, Valentine, Tiberius, and ended with her escape to the Citadel. Suddenly Eva realized how sickeningly vulnerable she had made herself and tried to cover the episode with sex, the only thing that she knew to do in a situation of uncertainty. Kani had stopped Eva before another bout could begin, offering her friendship and expertise as a former counselor rather than just allowing her to abuse her own body as a continual escape.

* * *

Eva was dumbfounded by the growing relationship between her and Kani over the next few weeks. She had told herself that it was supposed to be a one night stand, just another notch in her belt and nothing more. However, Kani had seen something in Eva that had needed healing and wouldn't just let her relish in the evil that had taken hold in the root of her soul. Eva had tried to keep the bartender at a distance, but the dark secrets and lust for the unnatural just seemed to pour out of her when they were together. Eva sought solace from the woman, whether she was considered a friend or not, and took a job at a local shooting range just a few blocks over from her apartment.

Eva watched as the thermal clip popped out and smiled. She pushed the button that called for the target as she holstered her Carnifex onto her right hip. Center mass or head shot, nothing that she had taken aim at was missed. Her ability to pick up on the plethora of weapons at the range had garnered a reputation among the locals on the Citadel, she was the deadly blonde with an uncanny passion for violence. She took down the target and slipped her finger into the hole that was located in the top of the mark's head as a deep voice spoke to her.

"Hell of a shot aren't you?" Eva spun around with her hand on her gun, letting her eyes rest on the tall, attractive man that had somehow snuck up behind her. She batted her eye lashes and brushed her hair behind her ears while she tried to determine if killing him would be in vain.

"I'm something that's for damn sure. Did you need something? Paying customers aren't allowed in this part of the range." Innocence dripped from her words and hung in the air while Eva's heart started to race.

"I'm just enjoying the view of a woman who knows how to handle a weapon." He gives a half-hearted smile as he steps closer to her, running his fingers over his thick, dark hair. "You're beautiful and deadly, it's a unique combination."

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you." Adrenaline was pouring into her system, her fight of flight response was ready to take the cocky son of a bitch down a peg.

"You daring me baby?" Eva gave a curt smile as he folded his arms across his chest. She quickly sweep kicked him, causing him to end up flat on his back with her weapon pressed firmly against his temple.

"Triple… dog… dare… you." Eva whispered to him as she squatted over his chest. "I guess you're as stupid as you look." She fingered the trigger for a moment before the man started to laugh. Eva simply holstered her gun and started to walk out of the backroom of the shooting range. "You have one minute to clear out Mr…"

"Santiago… Vido Santiago." He started to stand up as she took one look back.

"I'd advise that you move quickly Mr. Santiago, my employers don't take kindly to patrons that find their way into the back room without permission." Eva kissed the palm of her hand and blew to him, winking one eye as she left. She knew that the cameras would catch everything and that the man wouldn't make it far before being taken into custody. Eva nodded her head to Carddick, the batarian owner, as she tossed him the Carnifex. She had an appointment at the medical clinic and was now running about five minutes behind schedule.

"What the fuck do you mean I'm pregnant?" Eva looked at the salarian medical practitioner with wide eyes, "How the hell did this happen?" She regarded her stomach and felt nauseated, "A kid? I don't have time for a damn kid. Take this thing out of me!" She stood up, knocking over a tray of medical supplies that skittered across the floor.

"Ms. Harper, it's not that simple. There is a protocol for issues such as this that dictate that the other parent…" The rest of the words were lost on her as he continued to drone on about her options. Eva Harper had just learned that she was a month and a half pregnant with some random person's hell spawn. She didn't make another sound as she walked out of the clinic, trying to tell herself to breathe as she took one step after the other. The last thing in the galaxy that a woman like her needed was to find out that she was going to be responsible for another person's life, she had enough issues taking care of herself.

Eva immediately knew who the father of her unborn child was, it wasn't difficult for her to put the pieces together. There was only one human that she had been intimate in the past few months on Omega, only one that she hadn't taken the normal precautions with because he had let her open up to him. Tiberius, the name was like fire on her tongue, like a mouth full of cinnamon that couldn't be swallowed. She still had the business card that he had left with her, but never mustered the gall to tell him about the growing situation. Occasionally she would pull out the card and look at it, knowing that this man on should help her on some level with the child she was about to bear. Eva would then put the card back into the little box on the shelf and reassure herself that she could handle this alone, the way it was supposed to be for some used up harlot that meant nothing to the greater scheme of things in the universe.

Everything that followed over the next few months was lost on Eva. She had stayed so consumed with self-pity and hatred that she couldn't see past the growing bulge that had begun to obstruct the view of her own two feet. Tried as she would to keep people at bay, some would continue to persist through her cold exterior, trying to get to know her in ways that she simply could not say no too. Her passion for weaponry drew Vido Santiago back to her week after week, making him a frequent contact and a growing part of her life. As her child grew, so did the relationship with the mercenary. She tried to squash the rumors that the two were intimate, stating that he was just a regular customer with a misunderstood background. Eventually Eva found herself believing the statements as well, cultivating a friendship with Vido that she would talk to few about.

Commander Shepard's death and funeral had caused the general populace to mourn the first human specter, but not Eva. She silently celebrated the idol's death, telling herself that the do-gooder deserved what she got for putting her neck out there against the odds. Eva tried that, tried to defy the odds of being some ordinary colony bumpkin, and everything had been taken from her. She couldn't understand what made Shepard so damn special that she was exempt for whatever galactic karma continued to keep Eva from having a normal life.

When things had started to get better, Kani told Eva that she was thinking of leaving the Citadel for Earth. Out of the two people that she had started to trust, one was going to leave her and she was helpless to stop it. Eva was angry at the beginning, she screamed and cried at Kani, telling her that she had built her up only to again strip her down and throw her to the side like so many others had done. She then remembered the lesson that had escaped her in gaining a friend, you can't trust anyone to put you first. Eva forced herself to swallow the pain like a dose of much needed reality. She had always been alone in life and managed to survive, this would be no different. The blow from Kani continued to push her towards a more complicated relationship with Vido, letting the man in on more of her intimate secrets of her past.

Eva stared at the door to the Dark Star as she put her back against the railing. She was stopping to grab Kani before she headed to her six month check up at the clinic, the only time that she would actually go to the bar any more. Eva didn't say much when she started through the door, she kept her eyes forward and head held high as people took notice of her. She spotted Kani tending to a couple seated at the bar and headed in that direction as her eyes met his.

"Eva! Kani was just talking about you. All in... 'glowing' terms! I hear you've got yourself a nice setup here!" It was Tiberius, the man that she had been debating on calling for the past six months of her life. Eva was at a loss for words as he looked her over, no doubt aware of the impending situation that was clearly evident through her green shirt.

"Something like that." She managed to get out.

"Are you- ok, I'm just going to ask. Are you and the baby doing well?" Tiberius raised his brow as Eva tried to grasp the severity of the situation. She knew that he wasn't here alone, that this woman next to him was his other half and here she was with a child that belonged to him.

"As well as a whore that ended up knocked up could possibly be doing. Funny I should run into you again." Eva couldn't help but hear the bitter tone in her voice as her desire to walk out the door continued to build inside her.

"I was about to mention that as well. This is Jen, by the way. No you're not in trouble with her. And Jen, this is Eva from your smokin hot fantasies." Eva looked at the woman and offered her left hand, keeping the right on her stomach.

"Pleasure to meet you Jen, I'm sure."

"Of course! I'd love to talk with you and chill sometime. Do you like sushi? I love sushi!"

"She never talks this much after just meeting someone." Tiberius interjected.

"As a matter of fact, I love the stuff myself. They have a few great places here." Eva was taken aback by the genuine smile across Jen's face as she continued to talk to her. It had been so long since someone that knew of her past had regarded her as more than just a street walker, she was talking to her like a real person.

"Been to Matoi yet?" She gushed.

"Actually no, I haven't made it to that one just yet. I've been to a few around Zakera, but that's about it."

"It's in one of the access halls actually, Earth-authentic Japanese-Korean fusion!"

"I would love to get to know you, perhaps we can go sometime. My treat for the way Tiberius has treated me." Eva gave a true smile as she found truth in the words she had spoken. Tiberius had saved her from hell on Omega, she was more than willing to pay it forward with Jen.

Jen giggled. "Maybe I can show you how I treat him..."

Tiberius stopped the friendly exchange between the two women and put his hand on Eva's shoulder.

"I don't want to be disrespectful, but have you figured out the father?"

"Well, I am about six months pregnant and you were the last human I had seen in ages." Eva couldn't believe that the words came out so easily. She hadn't uttered the words to a single soul and in just a few moments of being in his presence she had spilled the one secret she had been keeping from the galaxy, even from Kani.

"I see." She tried to keep from glaring at him as her eyes met Kani's. This was too much for her to fast. Eva became frigid as she told herself that she had just ruined the life of the man who had saved her.

"I don't need anything from you. You aren't obligated to me in anyway." Eva again looked at Kani as she stepped towards the door. She wasn't going to ask him for anything, she didn't need anyone for anything and sure as hell wasn't about to let some stranger into her life.

"Not obligated? I... My... But the..."

"I have to go, Tiberius." She softened her resolve. "But I would like to get to know the both of you." Eva left the bar and waited outside for Kani, choking back her emotions as the swelled in her throat.

"Eva, you okay?" Kani asked as walked over to Eva who was fiercely gripping the railing.

"I just told him the kid was his, like I expected him to take responsibility and help me with something that he never wanted with me." She brushes her fingers through her hair, "We have to go, I'm already late as it is."

As difficult as it had been to let knew people into her life, Eva had been making a true effort with Tiberius and Jen. It was apparent that just knowing he was about to have a son in the world wasn't enough for the man, and that Eva was hardly a parental figure. She had pushed back against the two at first, but slowly felt the rock hard exterior melt away as the colony girl from Bowie started to shine through again. Jen had been a beacon of light for Eva, letting her talk for hours about the things that had happened to her on Omega, consoling her when she needed someone. Soon she was going with Eva and Kani to the clinic to check on the progress of her pregnancy. When it had come time to decide on the name for their son Jen had suggested Matthew, and Eva quickly agreed.

When Eva received the blade from Kani she immediately recognized the weapon, it was similar to one that she had seen carried by a person that she had spent so much time fearing, Vanessa Valentine. There was a symbol in being given a knife from the woman, she was letting Eva go without recourse, allowing Eva peace of mind when it came to her future with her new family on the Citadel. She had carried a blade for so long against her thigh, the idea of replacing it seemed like an alien idea to her. After a while, Eva decided to give Tiberius a chance in his field of experience, she would seek his advice on the weapon.

"Tiberius, there is something that I would like to show you. Do you have a minute?" She hid the blade out of sight as she approached him.

"For you? Always, mellita. What do you need?" His 'undivided attention gaze' had fallen upon Eva.

"I was given something from a woman, a knife that I was thinking of using other than this old thing I keep strapped on me. I wanted to know your thoughts on it."

"Well, the one you keep is a tactical-rated 1355 carbon, let me see the new one?"

Eva pulled out the nine inch blade and showed it to him, "I think it might be a little long, but it has a special meaning behind it."

"Well, that looks ceremonial... but actually 10" is the threshold for a tactical knife. Lets take a look at this... Whoa. Well, thats an ancient _tamehagene-_analogue actually, Chinese forged. Thats Mandarin in the scrolling, see? 'Power, strength, independence'. Its got a full tang, that quartz should hold up to moderate use. The gems are inset enough to... topaz, very interesting. If I had to guess the meaning... was the giver Asian? The gifting of a knife is a symbol of severing ti... Wait. Did this come from..." he trailed off, tilting his head to look at her with a calculating right eye.

"It's from Vanessa Valentine. You may have met her once, back when we first saw each other on Omega." Eva tried to not blush as the memory of their first encounter sparked desire for another bout of knife play. Tiberius strangely began to chuckle.

"Really? You think that this is funny?" Eva's mood quickly shifted as she glared at him standing in front of her.

He shook his head vigorously and lightly pinched his nose to control his laughing. "Nonono... not that. Though that IS a fond memory. You see, remember the day of Commander Shepard's funeral?"

"I do."

"I had obtained a proximity permit for a stand right outside the atrium of where the services were held. Mods, commemorative knives... all for these two causes, right? Well who should run into me but _her, _all bruised and battered. No shit, first I told her to suck off a wild boar, then I had an Elcor Standoff with her, guns- well, _my_ gun- drawn, right outside the hall's entrance. She mentioned that, in her stone cold soul, she preferred you off Omega because you had a good heart. Which I myself have seen, mellita."

"I hope that woman gets what's coming to her. I just know that this means that she won't be looking for me. I want it as a reminder of what I went through, of what I will never return to. " Eva runs the blade through her fingertips delicately, watching intently as the blade grabbed the light, "I didn't know that you had seen her."

TIberius moved to gently rub Eva's shoulders and nestled his chin on her shoulder. "She already paid me for the black market goods she wanted so I don't care what happens to her. And I hope you never have to return to that life either."

"As long as I have you and my family I don't see that happening love." She reassured herself as she took a deep breath. She had done so much to put the things of her past behind her with the help of Jen and Tiberius.

The bearded man gently laid kisses on her neck, and rested his hands lightly on her swollen belly. "Good. You are worth more than a few thousand credits and an hour."

Eva turns to face Tiberius, rage in her eyes, "You asshole!"

Suddenly, the 'oh, shit' look a man perfects flew across his features. "Shit, I didn't mean it like that! I meant that you are a _person, _not some object to be used and thrown away. You are a treasure of precious stones, not a lump of plastic to be used and forgotten. And soon, the mother of our child." His eyes softened, staring into hers.

"You just know all the right things to say don't you?" In response, he stroked her left cheek and kissed her forehead, nose, and lips. Eva gave a curt smile and looked at him with adoration, as words escaped her. This man had done so much for her and given her a chance when others had done so much to cause her pain. Eva could say without a doubt, that she was falling for the father of her unborn child.

Coughing slightly, a grin on his features, Tiberius glanced at the blade, still cupping her cheek. "Gonna test that out soon?"

Eva raises her eyebrows and bites her bottom lip, "I love the way your mind thinks."

"And I love the way you feel..."

"Do you now? I'm sure there are things we haven't tried yet."

"Hmm..." His eyes playfully locked into 'thinking' position, mouth quirked. "Do I need to run to the shop and bust out those flails and maces I just got in? OH YEAH... I also have that crate of stingray leather gloves... closest to turian you can get without violating a plethora of galactic laws..."

"I'm listening Tiby, are we going to just talk about this all night or..."

"I've got the keys right here..." He held up the set, jiggling them and smirking. "The keys to sweet, hot, and dangerous lovemaking..." Eva grabbed the keys from him and sauntered away from him slowly, stopping for a moment to look over her shoulder at him and smiling.

Vido had been gone for a few months after Eva had given birth to her son Matthew, giving her a chance to establish a regular schedule for the family of four. She would think of the man often, especially when she was working at the shooting range and surrounded by the many weapons the two of them spent so much time practicing with. Even in his months away from her Vido never lost contact. He would message her almost daily, letting her know the ins and outs of his life while leading his fellow mercenaries. Eva was in shock when she first learned that she had come to care for the man so much, but there was something about him that she just couldn't turn away from.

"Hey beautiful." Eva was all smiles as she walked in the door from work with Matthew sitting on her hip. She sat down her son and wrapped her arms around Jen, softly kissing her neck as she cooed to her, "You and me again tonight? I think I owe you for making me sore three days running."

"Eva, I have to tell you something." Jen pulled away from her, a serious look on her face.

"I know, I got the message that there was something we needed to talk about. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that Eva." Jen sighed, "I wanted to wait until you came home to tell you about the news reports about it… The entire population of Bowie is missing."

"What are you talking about?" Eva took a step back as she breathed deeply, "What do you mean missing?"

"The people there, they're gone like on the other colonies. They're just…"

"No." Eva said as her face turned red, "No, I have family there. Let's call them, Adam is there he'll answer."

"Eva, it's all over the vids."

"I said no Jen. Adam is there, he'll answer." Eva ran to a console and tried to cue Adam, "Come on… Come on, answer damn it." The line stayed silent as tears started to sting Eva's eyes.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't want to tell you while you were working."

"Missing… My entire family was there… My brothers and parents… cousins… Just gone? How?"

"Eva, it's okay just…"

"Don't say it!" Eva screamed, "Don't say another fucking word Jen!" Matthew started to cry at the rise of Eva's voice, "I have to go."

"Go where?" Jen asked moving to Matthew, "Just calm down, we'll figure this out."

"No, I have to get out of here. I'm suffocating." Eva looked at Jen with tears in her eyes, "Just… I'll be back okay?"

"Eva, Tiberius will be home in just a while, calm down." Jen's plea fell on deaf ears as Eva walked out of the door. She couldn't breathe, it felt like something was sitting on her chest and suffocating her. Just when things had started to look up, when she had become normal again, it was stripped away from her when it was just within her reach. Running was the only thing that came across Eva's mind, running away from this place that was safe and happy. Her family was gone, they weren't safe and happy wherever they were, and they were most likely dead.

Eva threw her back against the wall in the alley close to the shooting range, sliding down as she slowly started to cry. Memories of her older brothers and her on Bowie played in her head like home movies, happy times around the table and outside playing. Sobs made her chest heave as she placed her forehead against her wrist. The realization that she would never see these people again slowly started to sink into her, making her breathing heavier as she tried to stop the tears on her face.

"Eva?" I familiar voice called to her down the alley, "Eva what are you doing?" It was Vido, of all the times that he could have come by looking for her it had been when she was hit with the loss of her family. She looked up to him as he came over to her, his arms outstretched, "I just heard about Bowie and came looking for you."

Eva took his hands and fell into him, weeping as she pulled herself tight against his body. "Why Vido? Why my family, why them?"

"Shh, it's okay beautiful. It's okay. I'm here now." Vido put his hand on the back of Eva's head, trying to console her as she cried. "I came back for you, I would never let you go through this alone."

Eva pulled away from him, "Vido, I… Thank you." He smiles at her as he gently wipes a tear from her face.

"I care about you Eva, ever since I laid eyes on you I knew that you were the one for me. I wasn't going to just leave you here on the Citadel to deal with this alone."

"What are you talking about Vido?" Eva shook her head and took a step back, "You know that I'm not

alone. Tiberius, Jen, Matthew…"

"I know, they are your family Eva. I just wish…" Vido took Eva's hands, "We're close, I'm closer to you than I have even been with anyone. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't offer to help you in this situation."

"What are you talking about? How are you going to help me?" Eva furrowed her brow.

"I want to help you find the people that are responsible for what happened on Bowie. I want to make them pay for what they did to your family."

"You want to what?" Eva dropped his hands, "You don't even know who did this."

"Space pirates, batarians, whoever did this will pay. You should be the one to take the shot, to watch them take their final breath as you end their miserable existence." A sly grin came across Vido's face.

"We don't even know where to start, don't even know if they are dead." Eva tried to tell herself that the idea of seeking vengeance was crazy, that she would never find those responsible. The idea of galactic karma came to her, the thing that had continued to plague her throughout her life.

"Does it matter? Let's chase them down, you and I… together." He grabbed Eva around her waist,

pulling her body against his own.

"Together? I have a family here, I can't just leave." Eva thought about her son, her lovers, and the life that she thought was so grand. She wrestled with the idea in her head, leaving to pursue those responsible would soothe the anger she felt and keep her away from her family while she felt so unstable.

"You aren't going to avenge those that did this? That doesn't sound like you Eva, that sounds weak. When did you become a cowardess?"

"I am no cowardess and I'm not weak by any means." She said flatly, "And I'm sure as hell not letting you consider me weak, you asshole." Her anger boiled beneath her skin, taking the doubt that she had about leaving and replacing it with hate. Eva could feel the woman she once was screaming to be let out of her cage and allowed to run free. The hesitation only lasted for a moment as she felt the evil smile creep across her face.

"That's more like it Eva."

"I want to strip the skin of their worthless bodies one layer at a time. Where do we start?"

"That's more like the woman I know. First we have to make sure that you get the respect a graceful killer like you deserves." Vido gives her a crooked smile as he hands her a Carnifex with a familiar logo etched into the handle. "Welcome to the Blue Suns baby."


	19. Makani Blancarte 2: The Flair Bartender

**Kani Blancarte 2: The Flair Bartender**

**Written and Submitted By Orifiel**

x-x-x-x-x

Her movements flowed in time to the pulsing rhythm of the music, slanted brown eyes sharp and focused. She caught the two metal tumblers spinning in midair and juggled them one-handed as her other hand reached behind her to toss a liquor bottle smoothly into the rotation. The spectators cheered at the transition in her routine, and her mouth quirked appreciatively at the applause as she promptly chucked the mixing equipment toward the bar counter. A collective gasp sounded when the tumblers stacked together, the bottle having landed squarely inside them, and skidded to an upright halt two inches from the glass she had been mixing.

And just when the crowd prepared to clap at the end of her performance, she reached up, flicked open a Zippo hidden in her palm, and blew a mouthful of vodka toward the glass, sending forth a brilliant fireball that set the rim ablaze to complete the drink.

Makani—"Kani"—Blancarte bowed her head to the ovation that erupted throughout Dark Star Lounge. When the audience began to disperse, she winked at the cheeky human man with the handlebar mustache waving to her as he headed for the exit. Tiberius Gaiterus was an interesting character, and she waved back before sliding her newest concoction toward the beautiful blonde seated at the opposite side of the bar. Kani had noticed her the instant she'd walked in, and this drink was probably the fifth she had made for her.

"This one's on the house, gorgeous," Kani said, the natural husky tenor of her voice alerting the woman to some sort of revelation.

"Wait… so you're a girl?

The bartender's grin was full of amusement. "Don't go spreading it around, now."

Petite but decidedly boyish-looking, Kani's androgyny often brought on double-takes and uncertain glances. She was a twenty-four-year-old female of predominantly Filipino descent, sporting short, layered black hair, cheery almond eyes, and full lips set in a mischievous smile. Her body was toned and muscular enough to disguise her curves under loose clothing, and she chose the ambiguous appearance out of preference, enjoying the confusion she caused to the Dark Star patrons.

The blonde stared at her with renewed interest as she reached for the glass and blew out the flames without breaking eye contact. "You're Kani, right? Come find me when you get off work. I'll be here."

The silent bells of victory echoed in Kani's head as she leered quite pointedly at the other's impressive cleavage. "Sure thing. What's your name?"

"Eva Harper."

"See you in a bit, Eva."

Kani hurried back to her post, where several of her regulars had appeared to chat (or rather, flirt) with her. As she mixed drinks for each of them, engaged in lecherous conversation, and groped one asari's chest, she could feel the familiar gaze burning irately into her back. The instant she was able to send the regulars away and catch a break, her smile faded and she turned to meet the sharp blue eyes fixed on her from one dark corner of the lounge.

Jesper Erikson, or "Krieger" as he was more commonly known, stood with his arms crossed, glaring at her. An imposing figure of towering height and a heavily muscled build, the thirty-six-year-old German man could give even a krogan pause with just one glower. Faded scars crisscrossed the skin of his face, and his black armor hid the worst ones that covered his body. His blond hair was buzzed close to his head, and the trimmed whiskers of his beard added to his weathered look. He shifted then, his movement reflecting the precision and grace of a skilled fighter, and crooked a finger at her as he stalked toward the backroom.

She exhaled irritably and caught one of the turian bartenders by the elbow, informing him that she was going to step away for a few minutes. At his glance toward Krieger's direction and subsequent nod, she followed the way the hulking man had gone. As soon as she stepped inside the cold room where shelves of their stock lined the walls, the door slid shut behind her. She felt the heat of his body even before his large hand clamped over her shoulder and spun her around to face him.

"_Liebste_, we must talk," he rumbled in a deep, heavily accented voice. He had switched off his translator and was speaking English.

"Krieger, I told you not to call me that while we're working," Kani chastised, brushing his hand away. "Part of my selling point is my reputation. My customers can't know I have intimate relations with my bodyguard. My intimidating, dangerous, and possessive bodyguard."

He curled his lip at her, but didn't argue. They had settled into their roles as bartender and bodyguard nearly a year after they had relocated to the Citadel. Kani's success as the flair bartender of Dark Star Lounge was attributed not only to her flairing talent, but also to her widely known availability. While her vague gender attracted mostly female members of various species, and thus established them as returning patrons, males had also occasionally expressed interest.

"That robotboy 'canister' flirting with you earlier escaped death only for having balls," Krieger growled, referring to Tiberius Gaiterus. What could have been a violent altercation was resolved when the salesman had demonstrated skill with a blade and pitched a desirable business deal, which earned him Krieger's grudging acceptance. "But that blonde woman. I see the way you look at her all night. You bring her back to our apartment, I will be very angry."

Kani frowned at him. "You know I wouldn't do that…"

"I will also be very angry if you go home with her tonight."

Kani opened her mouth to issue an indignant protest, but Krieger cut her off.

"The perverted persona when you are on the clock is fine. The many women who shove breasts in your face is fine. Hell, even the occasional troublemaker I must knock out with one punch is fine." He advanced on her while he spoke, forcing her to retreat until her back bumped into one of the shelves holding several bottles of dextro and levo liquor. "But I tell you this before. Off work, I am more than your bodyguard."

"What? When did this happen?" Kani demanded, her cool façade completely slipping. "We agreed to live together with certain… benefits. That doesn't mean we're in a relationship."

Krieger slammed his palms against the shelf on either side of her, the sound making her jump as several bottles fell and shattered on the floor. She glared up at him defiantly even as he completely dwarfed her with his size. He leaned in close, eyes locking with hers, and then brought his lips a hair's breadth from her ear.

"_Lotusblüte, mach mich nicht wütend._"

She shivered involuntarily at the sentence spoken gruffly in German and swore under her breath. She understood it fluently without a translator and knew he was speaking it on purpose to leave a more significant impact.

_Lotus flower, do not make me angry._

Had they been at home and she wasn't feeling so resentful toward him, she probably would have jumped him on the spot and dragged him to bed. However, since neither of the two parameters applied to their situation and she had been starving for a woman for months, she slipped under his left arm and resolutely went for the door.

"Don't put these kinds of restrictions on me, Krieger," she told him over her shoulder. "You're my bodyguard foremost. Please just do your job."

With that, she left him behind and made her way back to the bar, the suave mask back in place. She disliked interference in her private affairs, and this was the first time he had openly opposed one of her trysts with another woman. The change in his attitude unnerved her, and she couldn't help wondering whether he had developed genuine romantic feelings for her along the way. If so, he was only setting himself up for disappointment. She wasn't capable of falling in love.

The night went on without further incident. As the pace of the lounge slowed and people staggered on home, Kani snuck a glance toward the dark corner, where Krieger had resumed his stoic—and now very tense—position. A brief stab of guilt throbbed in her chest at the way he refused to look directly at her, though she could tell he was keeping her in his peripheral vision. She braced herself on her elbows against the bar counter as she continued to watch him, this sullen, complicated individual who had entered her life two years prior.

They had met back on Earth, in Hawaii. In the midst of an island paradise, a tortured man seeking some form of redemption and release had come to her, and she remembered clearly the very first words he'd uttered in English, the sentence that had burned itself into her soul.

"_Please, save me."_

And she had tried her best.

Her musings were interrupted by the turian bartender—Arenos—who tapped her on the shoulder and told her she was free to go.

"That woman you were hitting on shamelessly all night is waiting for you by the door," he said, vocal pitch flanging with laughter. "I'm guessing Krieger scolded you for your free spirit making his job a lot harder?"

Arenos, like everyone else, saw the relationship between Kani and Krieger as that of a bratty, adventurous child and an exasperated, overprotective guardian. When Kani had been hired at Dark Star, Krieger had been accepted as her accompanying bodyguard, provided that he doubled as the lounge bouncer. No one had asked why she even needed Krieger's services, which suited them fine since coming up with a plausible explanation that strayed from the truth would have been a tedious process.

"He'll get over it," Kani grumbled, failing to convince herself.

"You know, I'll never understand how you always manage to push that guy to his limits without him tossing you through—what do you humans call it?—a field goal."

She stuck her tongue out at the turian, the silver ball of her tongue piercing glinting in the dim lighting.

Arenos cringed at it. "And I'll never understand the fascination your people have with drilling holes into your bodies to wear pieces of metal. You have enough jewelry on your ears to set off a planet scanner on a frigate."

Kani smirked and wiped down her section of the bar counter before casting one last glance at Krieger, whose gaze flickered to her in warning. With a renewed sense of stubbornness, she turned on her heel and marched in the opposite direction, where Eva was standing patiently.

"Who is he to you, anyway? He's been glaring at me the entire time," the blonde huffed.

"Hm?" While focusing on Eva's assets after realizing that she was practically at eye level with the taller woman's chest, Kani had almost missed the question. "Oh, that's Krieger, my bodyguard. I told him to buzz off for the night so he's a bit peeved at me. No need to worry about him. So…" She drawled, grinning in unabashed anticipation. "My place is kind of unavailable right now. How about we take this to yours?"

x-x-x-x-x

The room was hot, stifling, and filled with Eva's wanton moans as the pressure built and another climax overtook her. The release left her panting and sweating, her lower lip bleeding from when she'd bitten it hard earlier. Kani lifted her face from between the other woman's legs, her expression full of smug satisfaction. She crawled forward to lie next to Eva, her hand reaching out toward her hair and entwining in the soft golden strands. It had been so long since she'd last been with a woman that Kani had been worried she'd lost her touch. Fortunately, judging by Eva's (multiple) positive reactions, it seemed that her worries were for naught.

The only thing she was anxious about now was what awaited her back home…

As she continued to wordlessly run her fingers through the other's hair, Eva suddenly turned to her, beautiful eyes filled with tears.

"What… wait, what did I do?" Kani asked in panic, straightening up.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. You were wonderful. It's just…" Eva started before dissolving into sobs.

Kani sat there awkwardly, the air starting to chill her skin. She was still wearing her boxers and was about to reach for her shirt when Eva's fully naked form promptly launched itself at her, nearly knocking her backwards on the bed. Kani caught the other woman in her arms and held her as Eva wept against her neck, her tears spilling out in torrents and sheer anguish echoing from her cries. Anyone else would have been confused and uncomfortable with this breakdown, but an instinct that had lain dormant within Kani's psyche slowly awakened, and she allowed Eva to let it all out before speaking.

The inquiry was gentle and soothing. "What has life thrown at you and what can I do to help?"

Eva's sniffle of surprise preceded a brief pause, and then she opened up about her past in rushed words. She had been alone for the majority of her life, endured relentless abuse, and ended up on Omega as a prostitute until recently. The earrings she wore, given by a mysterious man she didn't elaborate on, seemed to mean more to her than anything else. Her mind was in turmoil, she didn't know how else to deal with the pain, and she was so, so sorry she had sought carnal refuge in Kani's body.

Kani gazed at her in reassurance. "You already sound like you feel guilty for so much. No need to apologize to me. I'm sorry about all those things that happened to you, Eva, but if you'd like, I can help you move forward. Not…" she said quietly, catching Eva's face between her hands when the blonde woman moved to kiss her, "…like this. At least, not always like this. You're new to the Citadel, aren't you? If you need a friend, or just someone to talk to, please feel free to come to me. I promise I'm more than just that sleaze that brought you drinks the entire night."

Eva studied her for a few moments before embracing her in a grateful hug. "Thank you, Kani. I never thought I'd see the day when a hot bartender would calm me down like this."

"Well, I wasn't always a bartender, you know."

"Yeah, but with the way you sounded, I would have thought you were a therapist or a counselor or something."

"As a matter of fact… I was."

x-x-x-x-x

"_Really? You now leave Earth to be a bartender on the Citadel?" Krieger had asked incredulously. "What the hell kind of career move is that?"_

"_I'm elbow-deep in school loans, and gene therapy has lowered the need for psychologists here," Kani replied. "Constant unemployment means the interest will rack up. I can't stay."_

"_But why a bartender? And why go all the way to the Citadel?"_

"_I hear bartenders are paid very well over there."_

"_You even know anything about mixology, _liebste_?"_

"_Your family owned a chain of bars in Germany, right? I'd like for you to teach me what you know. Then I have to learn to mix drinks for the various alien species…"_

_He seized her wrists. "After everything you done for me? I am supposed to just let you go?"_

_She stared up at him evenly for several seconds. "So… come with me?"_

They had been companions ever since, but the dynamics of their relationship had altered significantly in their time together. And she'd noticed too late just how far it had gone from a "friends with benefits" type deal to something more serious.

The week following their quarrel was strained and silent. Krieger adhered to his duties during her work days, but at home he had taken to avoiding her as much as possible. Her attempts to talk to him were met with a stony look, so she eventually gave up and decided to back off until he felt inclined on gracing her with speech again. He kept his distance whenever women approached her at the bar, but as soon as any man appeared and dared to smile at her, Krieger was quick to walk by and clothesline him with one arm.

Much of her free time was spent at Eva's residence, where she provided comfort for the troubled woman in more than one form. She also worked off stress by visiting Eva at her new job at the shooting range, which Krieger had stopped going to after learning that Eva was now employed there. Others began to suspect a relationship developing between the two women, but Kani effectively dispelled the rumors by going through a string of torrid one-night stands with several other female patrons.

Krieger's notable absence from her side left her feeling vulnerable and a little paranoid. The scar on her shoulder blade stung frequently, which she hoped was just from nerves. While walking around Zakera, she often found herself glancing over her shoulder, half-expecting to see a glimpse of dark hair, a flash of cold hazel eyes.

_Kani, Kani, don't run from Johnny… let me feel your skin tear for me…_

Those words had wormed their way back into her dreams when she slept in her bedroom alone, as Krieger had taken to the couch. The familiar feelings of dread and anxiety resurfaced to affect her mood and work performance. She dealt with them by seeking the company of almost every female that propositioned her, if only to have someone next to her to keep the subconscious memories at bay.

Tonight's partner was Lyla, a busty redhead with a turquoise breast tattoo that she had used to lure Kani in from the start. She was kissing Kani fiercely in the darkness of her living room, pinning the petite woman on her couch as she licked her tongue piercing. Although Kani generally preferred to be the dominant one in sexual encounters with other women, she missed the feel of another's weight on her, larger arms embracing her and overpowering her. She supposed she could remedy that by bedding another man, but somehow she just couldn't bring herself to it.

Suddenly, Lyla stopped once her hand wandered up Kani's shirt. "Hang on a minute. Are these… you're not a guy?"

Considering the number of women Kani had been with in the past week, she was a bit surprised that word of her true gender hadn't spread like wildfire. "Uh… no?"

Lyla said nothing for a while, but then resumed her ministrations. "This is unexpected, but now I'm extra obsessed with how tiny your body is…"

Kani was rather sore for the next day—even sorer than she'd been after one daring night with a female turian—which was the worst possible timing because it also happened to be the day of Commander Jane Shepard's funeral. The news of the Hero of the Citadel's death had broken hearts across the galaxy. Krieger had met Shepard during one of her stops in Zakera Ward before the Battle of the Citadel and had come to respect her. When the geth invaded with Sovereign, he had been among the first to act, grabbing Kani and leading everyone in Dark Star Lounge through the evacuation route he had been planning.

Kani and Krieger were firm believers in Shepard's claim that Sovereign was not only a flagship, but also the first of a race of sentient machines known as "Reapers." When reconstruction on the Citadel began, the new Council downplayed the existence of the Reapers and explained Sovereign as a form of advanced geth technology. Krieger had been outraged. He and Kani had watched the atrocious thing land on Citadel Tower, attacking of its own volition. It was no piece of technology. It had been alive.

Now, Kani watched the live progression of Shepard's funeral on the vid screen in Dark Star. Krieger was in his corner, looking grimmer than ever, as he stared at the screen with his jaw clenched. There were barely any customers at the moment, as most Citadel residents were either attending the funeral or watching from home to mourn the commander.

"_Lieutenant-Commander Jane Andrea Shepard is our fallen Marine."_

Kani folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the bar counter as the Color Guard, followed by the Honor Guard, appeared in somber ceremony. The proceedings continued with Councilor Udina's opening statement. Kani saw Arenos reaching for a bottle of dextro liquor and clamped her hand over his arm, stopping him from taking a swig. They were still on the clock, after all, and she had a feeling they would be swamped by depressed customers after the funeral. He sighed and returned the bottle.

Several other speakers followed Udina, and finally he closed the service. Arenos switched off the screen and barked at the other bartenders to prepare themselves. And sure enough, not half an hour later, an influx of people arrived and had them busier than Kani could ever remember being. Moving at a swift pace was uncomfortable due to Lyla's aggressive play, but Kani had been allowed to cancel her usual flair performance in order to keep up with the staggering number of drink orders being shouted at them from all directions.

One blond man had draped himself over the counter to Kani's left, sobbing into his third drink and wailing about how Shepard had been the most amazing person in the galaxy, and it was so unfair that she had to die. After ensuring he wouldn't drown in his glass, Kani left him to his sorrow while Arenos strode up and actually smacked him upside the head.

"Spirits, Conrad, get a hold of yourself. And stop dribbling your disgusting human mucus all over my counter!" the turian snapped.

Kani shook her head and continued to make drinks. As she finally began to catch up on the list of orders, another Asian woman took a seat at the bar some distance away from the weeping Conrad. Kani glanced at her in interest, noting the delicate facial features and slim frame. Malaysian, probably. She approached her at once, grinning even though her joints threatened to collapse and sweat dripped down her back from overexertion.

"What may I get for you, miss?"

The familiar look of puzzlement crossed the other's face. "Oh. You're female?"

Kani chuckled at the now-standard exchange between her and new customers. "Is it so surprising?"

"Kinda. I couldn't really tell... it's very ambiguous. Erm, your face, I mean."

"Don't worry, I get that a lot," Kani said dismissively, winking. "Now, is there anything I can get for you?"

"Yes, a favor, if you please." She bent forward, a secretive note lacing her voice. "You're Makani Blancarte, aren't you?"

Kani hesitated at the change in tone, but carried on. "That's right, Kani Blancarte at your service. Who's asking, pretty lady?"

"That's not important. It's my understanding that you know Eva Harper?"

Now Kani's guard flew up, and her smile grew strained as she studied the mysterious woman in calculation. If she had to guess, this was someone from Eva's past. No one from the Citadel had come to Dark Star specifically asking if she was acquainted with her. And since she was unsure whether this was a friend or a foe, she had to be cautious.

"Yeah, Eva's a pretty popular face here in Zakera. I hope you're not looking to trouble her." Then, leaning in close, Kani dropped the smooth mask for the briefest of moments, allowing the other to see the warning in her dark eyes. "Because you'll have to go through me."

She was answered with a show of raised palms in a placating gesture. And then a blade appeared, which Krieger spotted immediately from his post. He began storming over, but Kani recognized the way the woman was holding the weapon, and she shot him a silent order to halt. He did so, blue irises going icy as they battled wordlessly. Finally, she flashed her eyes at him to end the argument, and he stomped back to his corner.

The woman inquired suspiciously about her bodyguard, but Kani was more interested in the ceremonial knife. She accepted it when the other held it out to her. The twisted pewter grip around a high carbon steel tang felt strange yet natural in her hands. The pommel was a faceted quartz, thicker than her hand around the hilt, and a curved handguard moulded over her fist. Earth Mandarin script scrolled against the dull gray blade, and embedded along the upper tang was topaz, the same color as Eva's earrings.

"Make sure Eva gets it. Tell her it's from V.V. She'll understand," the mysterious woman declared while rising. "And as incentive..." She tossed a credit chit onto the counter. "Here, consider it a tip."

Kani responded with a curt nod and quickly hid the blade under the bar, but no one else seemed to have noticed its existence.

"And," the woman added just before disappearing into the crowd, "thank you." And with that, she was gone.

Kani didn't know what the woman's connection was to Eva, but she understood the passing of the ceremonial knife as a Chinese symbol of severing ties.

A few hours later, Dark Star was more crowded than even on its liveliest nights, and the patrons were twice as drunk. Krieger had been forced to stop several fights and threw out hordes of people. But with every individual he kicked from the premises, two more seemed to waltz in. The lounge had reached its maximum capacity, and Kani was exhausted from the constant flow of movement without respite.

Serious trouble came in the form of a batarian that had been watching her for the latter part of the evening. When her aching muscles finally gave out and caused her to trip over herself, the drink she was holding flew straight toward him, dousing his armor in the bright blue liquid. Before she could apologize, he reached over and grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her to him and slamming her front against the counter. She yelped in pain as his other hand came up to clutch her jaw tightly, his four bulbous eyes boring into her.

"You're coming with me," he snarled. "I know a way you can use that pretty mouth to make up for this mess."

"Even if I'm male?" she tried, hoping he was one of those unenlightened to her gender.

"Nice try, but I know a female's pheromones when I smell them, even on a human." He leaned in closer. "And yours are just begging for a man's attention."

Any response she had been formulating was cut off when he abruptly released her. Two large hands gripped his head from behind and shoved his face into the marble surface of the bar counter. He howled as Krieger denied any opportunity of retaliation by seizing the collar of his armor and roughly dragging him backwards before tossing him onto the floor. Kani gaped as her bodyguard started to beat the batarian mercilessly, his blue eyes alight with rage and his lips pulled back into a vicious scowl. A crowd gathered around them and urged him on, cheering when the offender began to bleed.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Arenos cried, coming to stand next to her. "Kani, could you take Krieger and just head home? I'm going to get the other staff to close the lounge for the night before someone expires in here."

Wasting no time, Kani hurried around the counter and caught Krieger's fist as he reared it back to lay another punch into the batarian, who was barely hanging onto consciousness. "Stop it," she ordered, but he shook her off and proceeded with the possible murder attempt.

She threw herself at his back and wrapped her arms and legs around his huge torso. "_Liebling_," she whispered harshly in his ear. "_Hör jetzt bitte auf. Wir mùssen reden._ So we're going home. Now."

He froze at her words. Once she hopped back down to the floor, he straightened and stiffly led the way to the exit, much to the consternation of the spectators. Sparing a final glance at the severely injured batarian, Kani jogged after Krieger and left the cleanup to Arenos.

The shuttle ride home was filled with more tense silence, but the second they entered their apartment and locked the door, Krieger whirled on her. He was angrier than she'd ever seen him, even more so than when they'd first met. The coldness had broken, giving way to the hot surge of ferocity he'd kept buried for the past week.

"I have had enough," he roared at her, the volume of his voice bursting with unconcealed hostility. "This game you are playing—completely disregarding me, sexing up all those women—I know not who you are anymore. And with just everything going on, and Commander Shepard's death… I don't need this. I'm done."

Kani felt a jolt of alarm when he stomped toward the bedroom, presumably to collect his things. "What the hell? I said I was sorry after the first time with Eva—"

"First time?" he returned venomously as he grabbed his suitcase from the closet. "_Du Schnalle._"

"Did you just call me a skank in German?" she demanded in disbelief while tapping her translator, which she had set to ignore the English, German, and Bisaya languages.

"_Ja. Ich habe allen Respekt für dich verloren._"

Kani's chest constricted.

_Yes. I have lost all respect for you._

She swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed on. "Yeah? Then what was that about beating that batarian to the brink of death after he roughed me up?"

"Would have done the same for anybody," Krieger replied as he threw piles of clothes and thermal clips into the open suitcase.

"Bullshit. Are you seriously leaving?"

"There is nothing left here for me. Enjoy your sea of breasts and puss—"

"Jesper!"

He snapped his head to her at the use of his first name. She was standing at the foot of the bed, almond eyes wide and distraught. None of her public persona remained in her stricken expression. It was just Kani, looking tiny and scared.

She watched him inwardly wrestle with himself, knowing this was her fault for being so callous. It was unfair of her to keep relying on his presence for ease of mind, especially when she had originally intended on coming to the Citadel by herself. She had grown too accustomed to having him around, watching her back during the day and making love to her throughout the night. If she truly tried, she could make it just fine on her own. She had a good job, her life was stable. And since she was unable to reciprocate his feelings, he had no obligation to stay with her.

He was still gazing at her with a torn expression. They had clashed a few times before, but this was the first where he was practically halfway out the door. Her shoulders slumped slightly at the thought of her next words. He deserved better than playing guardian to a washed-up psychology student. Perhaps it was time to let him go.

Taking a few breaths to build her courage, she cleared her throat and said shakily, "If you really do want to go, I won't stop you. From a counselor's standpoint, continuing to live in this distressing environment with me isn't health—"

"God damn it, Kani," he suddenly growled, surging forward and reaching for her. "Just shut up and come here."

In a whirl of motion, he had her pinned against the wall, their lips seeking each other and connecting in a hard kiss filled with desperation and need. Relief flooded her as he cupped her jaw with both hands and worked his mouth over hers. She felt the static spring up under her skin, filling her with lightning as he forced his tongue past her teeth, clicking their piercings together. She whimpered pleasantly at the invasion and clawed at the fastenings of his armor, her mind surrendering to the suppressed desire that had been unleashed by his touch.

He took it upon himself to undress, pulling away from her just long enough to practically tear off his expensive Ariake Technologies Armor. Once it was discarded and he remained only in his boxers, he seized the cloth of her hoodie and ripped it in half with one movement. She was left wearing her black sports bra and loose jeans, and she stood on her tip toes as he bent down to kiss her again, his hands roaming over her slender curves. Her sports bra soon suffered the same fate as the other material on the floor, and she barely had time to kick off her shoes before he undid her belt buckle and yanked her pants and underwear down over her hips.

He was sporting a raging erection by now, which sprung free when he slid out of his boxers and pounced on her. Her back hit the wall again, his muscular arms and torso pressing her small body against the hard surface. They were both panting, maddened with lust and the unspoken wish to make up for lost time. Having run out of patience, he grabbed her waist and lifted her easily, bracing her against the wall as he moved in between her legs.

Neither one of them was looking for a sensual session; they needed it rough, hot, fast. _Now._

"_Ich werde dich so lange ficken, daß du eine ganze Woche nicht gehen kannst,"_ he murmured raggedly, the deep timbre of his voice reverberating with animalistic fervor and leaving her trembling.

_I will fuck you so hard that you won't be able to walk for a week._

Without waiting for her to prepare for accommodating his size, he guided himself to her entrance and plunged into her hard. She cried out as he buried himself nearly to the hilt, the lingering soreness making it almost unbearable as his well-endowed member stretched her tight anatomy. Her arms came up to grip his shoulders as her legs wrapped around his hips. With much effort, he took it slow at first. Lifting her high by the waist, he used the wall to help support her as he brought her down on him roughly, impaling her. Once her gasps of pain progressed into moans, he increased the rhythm, moving her like a piston up and down on his length as he took out a week's worth of frustration on her.

"_Dumme Frau. Du treibst mich in den Wahnsinn,"_ he grunted, his fingers digging into her skin hard enough to bruise.

_Stupid woman. You drive me insane._

She couldn't answer as the tension increased in her lower abdomen, face aflame as she gazed through lidded eyes at him. It always gave her a thrill to see her usually stoic bodyguard rife with passion, his expression taut with concentration. He had switched his grip onto her thighs, holding her still as he thrusted in and out of her. She could feel herself nearing the edge as he filled her, and he leaned forward to bite the junction between her shoulder and neck, sucking on her flesh to leave a territorial hickey.

The sensation was too much, and with the tensing of her muscles and the arching of her back, she came. The waves of pleasure rippled through her, sending a strangled cry tearing through her throat as she rode it out. He wasn't far behind. With a final deep thrust, white light flashed before him and he found his release inside her, groaning at the way she sucked him in. Their sexual compatibility stemmed greatly from their size difference, and even though she would be physically hurting for the next few days, she felt it was completely worth it.

After a minute of catching their breath, he slid out of her and lowered her to the floor so she could stand. When she moved toward the bathroom to get cleaned up, he clutched her arm.

"For one week I did not get to touch you, _lotusblüte._ And looks like you still can walk," he rumbled, that predatory look in his eye again._ "Ich bin noch nicht fertig mit dir."_

_I am not finished with you yet._

And as his member throbbed back to life, he picked her up and threw her on the bed.

x-x-x-x-x

"_So. How about you now tell me the real reason we run off to this place?"_

_Kani didn't bother pausing in her flairing practice. "What do you mean?"_

"_You wait tables at Flux and I am a gun for hire. Is this your hope when we come to the Citadel?" Krieger inquired in a neutral tone._

_She missed the tumbler she was trying to catch behind her back and ended up dropping all the items she was juggling. With a groan of frustration, she said, "Look, we just got here. There's an opening at Dark Star Lounge for a flair bartender, so if I can perfect my technique—"_

"_Hiding things does not suit you, _liebste_."_

_She regarded him gravely before sighing and running a hand through her new short haircut. "All right, fine. I had to get away from someone."_

"_Christian?"_

"_No. I'm actually hoping to protect Chris by putting this much distance between us," Kani replied. She lowered her eyes. "It's John Covington."_

_Krieger tilted his head to the side. "Does not ring a bell."_

_She turned around and stripped off her outer shirt, showing him the raised scar that ran across her left shoulder blade. "He was responsible for this."_

_He inhaled sharply. "I see. The one you have nightmares about. An ex?"_

"_Yes, a very obsessed and mentally disturbed one. The man stalked me for years and broke into my home and attacked me when I lived in Florida. My sources told me he tracked me down in Hawaii, but we left before he could show up."_

"_And you hope he will not find you here. Is this also why now you look and dress like a boy?"_

"_If fate is sadistic enough to send him this way, I should at least do something to throw him off."_

"_You could have said to me to go after him, _liebste_. I swore to you I protect you," Krieger reminded her._

_The smile she gave him was tender and warm. "Hey Krieger, why don't we officially make you my bodyguard?"_

The bond between them had always been strong, but that moment almost a year ago had established it, and their recent passionate reconciliation reinforced it.

The next few months flew by in relative peace and… confusion. Eva had become a familiar face throughout Zakera Ward by this time, and news of her unexpected pregnancy brought on speculation that Kani, of all people, was a potential father candidate. If there was ever an epic facepalm moment in the history of the galaxy, it was when a random patron marched up to the Dark Star bar and asked Kani pointblank if she had impregnated the beautiful shooting range worker. Needless to say, she and the other bartenders had been speechless.

Krieger found the entire situation immensely annoying, and even though Kani assured him that she and Eva were no longer sexually involved, he still shot the blonde woman dirty glares whenever she crossed his sight. For her part, Kani often visited Eva to check up on the progress of her pregnancy and the status of her emotional state. She passed on the ceremonial knife, relaying the message that it was from "V.V." Eva had been shaken, but appeared to lay a part of her history to rest. The two women had settled into an intimate friendship (that Krieger disapproved of), and Eva had grown significantly attached to Kani, whom she regarded as a stable element in her life.

One evening at Dark Star, Kani was witness to the awkward crossing of paths. Tiberius was back with a cleaned Carnifax for Krieger, and he had brought his girlfriend Jen with him to relax over drinks. Kani chatted with them and mixed their alcohol with her usual flair, but then she heard Tiberius mention something that drew her attention.

"Hey, I might be able to get you a pair of earrings like that. Gold, teardrops with diamond embeds in the stone…"

Kani paused as she held three shot glasses between the fingers of one hand. "Wait a minute… I've seen a pair like that before."

Tiberius glanced at her. "I gave a pair away, actually. I'd brought them with me on a business trip."

Eva's treasured earrings came to mind, and Kani interrogated the salesman to confirm what she was suspecting. A rush order of supplies on Omega, a sampling of one of Afterlife's best. Verification came in the form of Jen's giggled, "Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire!"

As she had thought. "So you're the mysterious john who gave her those earrings," Kani remarked, sending Tiberius a scrutinizing look. "You know she lives here on the Citadel now?"

His eyes widened, a seemingly uncharacteristic expression. "So you _do_ know her? Small galaxy…"

_Small galaxy._Kani's stomach knotted at those words as John's hazel eyes fought toward the forefront of her memories, but she pushed them back. Tiberius asked about Eva; how she was, where she worked, how well she was living. His interest implied a lingering fixation on the former prostitute, and Kani batted away her instinctive possessiveness, reminding herself that this man had probably saved Eva's life when he'd given her the funds to start over outside Omega. So she answered his questions honestly until he and Jen prepared to leave.

As if on cue, the topic of the night chose that moment to stride in, dressed in black leather and jade and looking unbelievably desirable even though her belly was swollen with child. Kani watched Tiberius's and Eva's startled and then cautious faces as they caught sight of each other for the first time in months. She kept to herself as they confronted one another, letting them work out whatever issues lay between them.

It was obvious even before they verbalized it that Tiberius was the father.

Finally, the three of them left, their lives having been reshuffled but not obstructed. Kani hoped this meant that she wouldn't be set aside as an outlier in Eva's eyes, but if Tiberius and Jen could provide the strength she needed, then Kani would be content even if she had to bow out.

She met Krieger's eyes across the lounge. He had heard the entire exchange through the bar bug and was staring at her calmly, but his blue irises were dancing with delight. Well, she knew _one_ person who would be happy if Eva kicked her to the curb.

Despite Tiberius's now constant presence around Eva in the coming weeks, there were still several fingers pointed in Kani's direction regarding the paternity of Eva's unborn child. She briefly considered taking on an unmistakably feminine exterior for a while, but then decided it wasn't worth losing the year of effort it had taken to maintain her androgyny. She joked about it to Krieger in their apartment during one of their days off, and to her dismay, he was seriously enthusiastic about her resuming her womanly appearance.

"I miss you looking like my _lotusblüte_," he told her. "You had long, beautiful hair when I first saw you. And you wore a dress. You were a woman."

"The fuck… I'm still a woman, you know!"

He coughed lightly into his palm before giving her one of those roguish grins he saved only for her, his scarred face brightening. "Yes. I _do_ know. You have reminded me every night for—"

"Okay, let's just end this conversation now," she interrupted, flushing and jumping up from her seat on the couch.

The sound of an incoming transmission beeped from the direction of the bedroom. Krieger actually winked at her and went to answer the vid call on their shared terminal. She smiled despite herself and made her way to the large living room window, gazing at the artificial light outside and contemplating a leisurely day out with him. They had been working almost nonstop lately and needed time to unwind. The shooting range was out since Krieger still refused to go there while Eva was working. Maybe they could check out the new Purgatory dance club that had just opened in the Presidium. It was apparently twice as big as Dark Star Lounge, and Kani had been itching to stop by the bars and scope out the competition.

Unfortunately, today wasn't the day for it.

"Kani," Krieger called.

She frowned and immediately headed to the bedroom. Something was wrong. She found him standing rigidly to the side of the terminal, the crease between his eyebrows deep with aggravation.

"What?" she asked warily.

His tone was flat. "It is your husband."

Her heart sank and she nodded shortly, dismissing him. However, he didn't budge. For the past several months, ever since the night of Commander Shepard's funeral, he had grown even more aggressive and jealous toward any rivals for Kani's affections. These included Eva and any past female lovers that wanted a second round with the popular bartender, but Krieger was especially hostile toward men who displayed even the slightest bit of interest in her. And that meant her husband was the first person on his hit list.

She rolled her eyes at the stubborn set of his jaw and took a seat at the desk, offering a halfhearted wave to her spouse's image on the screen. "Hi, Christian," she greeted.

"Could we speak in private, please?" he asked in annoyance, scowling at Krieger. He looked worse for wear, his brown eyes heavy with bags and premature grays standing out among his cropped blond hair at the temples.

"Look, dumbass spouse, be glad you are light-years away because otherwise I beat the shit out of you for not being able to take care of Kani," Krieger snarled at him. "I am the one to protect her now, so leave us alone and fuck off."

"Excuse me?" Christian snapped. "I have important matters to discuss with my _wife_. You have no part in our marriage so get lost."

Krieger practically doubled in size as the veins in his neck popped out and he lunged forward to rip the terminal from its mount on the wall. Kani stopped him with a yell and planted both palms against his chest. He halted to avoid running her over, still glowering over her head at Christian as she spoke soothing words to him in German.

"_Aufhören._ Just wait in the living room. I'll be out in a bit, _liebling_," she told him, pushing gently so he would start moving back.

Finally, he relented. "Ten minutes," he barked. "Then I come charging back in."

As soon as he stomped out and slammed the door behind him, Kani sat back down and rubbed her forehead.

"I see you're still living with your former rage-a-holic patient, Kani," Christian said, displeased.

"For the last time, Krieger wasn't my patient. I was a group counselor, not a psychiatrist. And he doesn't usually lose his temper like this anymore."

"Either way, he's dangerous and I want your arrangement to end." He reached for an item next to his terminal and held it in front of the camera. The silver metal rank shone in the sunlight streaming in through his window. "The Air Force promoted me to captain a few days ago, so I'm now making O-3 salary. I'll be able to pay off your school loans, and you can stop working over there."

Kani blanched. "Wait, but—"

"It's time to come home," he declared firmly. "I know we married out of convenience so I haven't said anything while you've been running around free, but we agreed we'd try to start a family again."

She gaped at him in incredulity. "We don't call each other for a year and you're bringing this up now?"

"Yeah, because with my promotion I'm now capable of comfortably supporting my wife and future children," he replied.

"Chris, we tried throughout our first three years of college to have a baby and it never happened," Kani stated quietly. "It's possible that I might not be able to conceive because of the accident."

Christian's expression darkened. "That Covington bastard will get his in the end. I was livid when I heard he'd followed you all the way to Hawaii."

"Yeah, well… wherever he is now, it won't change what happened. And anyway, do we really want kids in the near future? With John still out there, it's better for me to stay away..."

He flashed his gold wedding band at her. "Regardless of our reasons for marrying, I'm still your best friend, and you know how we both feel about divorce. I'm sure you've built some kind of pseudo life there with your temperamental bodyguard or lover or whatever, but you've had your fun, Kani. Now I need you to come back. Without Krieger."

x-x-x-x-x

_He stared sharply at the set of jewelry still on her finger, hating the sight of the half-carat marquise diamond and inset peridots shimmering against the yellow gold in the lamplight. "Take those eyesores off."_

_Kani shifted in bed next to him, opening one eye sleepily. "What?"_

"_Your bridal rings. We start work at Dark Star Lounge tomorrow. Not good for your image if all know that you are married," he told her. "Also, they are annoying to look at."_

"_For Christ's sake," she muttered and slipped them off to place them on the nightstand. "Didn't you once tell me you thought they were beautiful?"_

"_That was before we started sleeping together, when I still believed you were out of my reach."_

"_Well damn," she said, burying her face back into her pillow, "I didn't think sex with me would change your opinion so drastically."_

_Krieger rolled partly over her, taking care not to her crush her smaller form under his massive one. She protested when he began kissing her neck, citing her need to rest for the new job, but he silenced her by sticking his index finger into her mouth._

"_Must I tell you again, _liebste_? You are mine."_

It would be an understatement to say that Krieger's reaction to her husband's request was not good. He had gone absolutely berserk, roaring obscenities and leaving a path of destruction in his wake as he fled the apartment to wreak havoc all over Zakera. It was pointless to pursue him when he was in this mood, and C-Sec would have him in custody (again) sooner or later. Kani had sighed and decided to visit Purgatory after all, needing a stiff drink from an unfamiliar place.

The new club, located high above the Presidium Commons, had been admittedly impressive. It spanned several floors and boasted multiple bars, and Kani had been inebriated in no time. One of the pole dancers, a tall woman with flowing black hair and a full hourglass figure, took a liking to her and spent hours persuading her to come home with her. Against Kani's better judgment—not that she had any inhibitions left by that point—she slurred an affirmative.

From what Kani could recall through her drunken haze that night, the dancer's name had been Amiee. And judging by the raw skin around her wrists and flog welts all over her backside the next day, she believed Amiee was very much into BDSM.

Of course, her tryst with Amiee only served to incense Krieger even more. He had just been dropped off at their apartment with a community service order by C-Sec officers when she'd trudged in after him with a hangover, and he had guessed correctly what she'd done. Although this time he didn't give her the cold shoulder or threaten to leave, he delivered punishment by repeatedly laying claim on her body, taking her almost every spare minute they had as if doing so would make her inexplicably his. He continued this desperate pattern for several days, ignoring her objections when he pulled her into the backroom during her breaks at work to satiate his raging lust for her.

But Krieger's troubling behavior aside, Kani really wasn't surprised by everyone else's reactions to her possible relocation back to Earth. Eva was in near hysterics, begging Kani not to leave her in the middle of her pregnancy. Even with Tiberius and Jen there for her, she was terrified of severing the bond the two of them had formed.

"Are you flipping kidding me?" Eva had shrieked. "You were the one worried that I'd just drop you, but now you're telling me that you're going to walk out on me?"

"It's not for sure, Eva. And even if I do go back, it won't be for a while—"

"What the _fuck_, Kani!"

"Hey," the bartender said, reaching across the bar counter to stroke the other woman's face tenderly. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere while you still need me. You know how much I care about you."

Eva slowly relaxed at her touch, paying no heed to the envious glares of Kani's other previous conquests across the lounge. "Damn, don't scare me like that..."

"Hey, roly-poly belly girl," came Krieger's irritated growl as he passed by. "How about you move that planet you are carrying away from Kani before objects start to orbit it?"

There had never been a more insulted pregnant woman.

As far as Arenos and the other bartenders, they were unhappy with the prospect of Kani's resignation but readily accepted her reason. For a while they deliberated whether they would make a big announcement about her departure and have her perform a final flair show, but she convinced them to put off those plans until she decided on a definite date, stating that their constant discussions on it were depressing her.

Christian had called two more times, stopping after Kani told him she would need months to tie up all her loose ends on the Citadel, and if he kept hounding her, she would outright refuse to go back. After realizing she wasn't going to immediately pack up and leave, Krieger calmed down enough to stop jumping her for sex every chance he got, but he still gave her grief over the lingering loyalty she had to her spouse. She didn't bother to bring up the fact that under typical circumstances, her marriage would trump her relationship with Krieger by default.

The months passed with a perennial atmosphere of apprehension, as if they were all expecting Kani to simply vanish. She went about her job normally to help pacify their fears and reiterated several times that they would know in advance exactly when she would head back to Earth. Eva went into labor one early afternoon, and Kani had been there in the delivery room with Tiberius and Jen, holding the screaming mother's hand as she gave birth to a healthy son named Matthew.

Kani gazed at the baby in wonder, taken aback by the sight of the energetic little person that squirmed in Eva's arms. "He just looks so..."

Amazing. Beautiful. Precious. She wanted to say those words, but all of a sudden her throat closed on her. While Tiberius and Jen swarmed the new mother and child, Kani stayed back quietly. A memory came clawing, harsh and insistent. She saw the glass shattering, heard the deafening crushing of metal. She felt the unspeakable pain of the steel rod impaling her, straight through her abdomen and into her womb. In an alternate universe, an alternate time, she might have carried her own baby.

As she watched the miracle of new life, something inside her died.

No one else could understand the somber change in Kani in the following weeks. No one, except for Krieger. He knew the burden she carried, even shared it with her as something similar had happened in his past. But he knew precisely the awful feeling that was eating away at her fiery spirit: loss.

The only good news was that she wouldn't be leaving the Citadel after all. She had called Christian, told him she just couldn't deal with the disappointment again of failing to get pregnant, and informed him that he was free to send her the divorce documents if he so wished. He had refused, stating that their marriage and friendship was more than that, and he would wait for her for however long she needed before she returned.

She was distracted these days at work, trying to use her knowledge in psychology to sort of counsel herself out of her growing depression. It never worked, though. It was one thing to objectively know and recognize the causes of a major depressive episode, but to attempt to talk oneself out of it was an entirely different matter. Emotional turmoil never left room for logic, and Kani was hard-pressed to even find the motivation to stop wallowing in her self-pity.

Her flair performance tonight was excruciating as she tried in vain to concentrate on her routine. She had already dropped five bottles, her most embarrassing record to date. After failing to catch the glass she had been spinning over her shoulder, she ended the show prematurely to tentative applause, her cheeks glowing red with shame.

As she muttered a stream of profanity to herself while putting away the mixing equipment, she learned just how much worse her evening, her mental state, and her life could go.

"Kani, Kani… having a rough night?"

Her blood froze at the familiar smooth voice that had haunted her for years. _No way... no fucking way..._

But her worst fears, as dictated by her recent luck, had come true. She felt her heart stop when she looked up and met the soulless hazel eyes that had been chasing after her for the better part of a decade. It took her nearly a full minute to bring her vocal cords back to life.

"John?"


	20. Jesper Erikson 2: The Bodyguard

**Jesper Erikson 2: The Bodyguard**

**Ghostwritten and Submitted By Orifiel (for Ebe Krieger)**

x-x-x-x-x

"_Please, save me."_

_The words tumbled from his lips before he could stop himself. That had to be an angel standing in front of the large open window, placed here to rescue him from the demons that plagued his memories. Her waist-length black hair had been gathered into two neat Indian braids, and she wore a yellow summer dress that reminded him of the sun. At his words, she glanced up in surprise, delicate Asian features set in a questioning look. He found himself drowning in her dark almond eyes, and when she smiled at him warmly, he suddenly recalled what peace felt like. It was like gazing at a lotus flower._

"_You're Jesper Erikson, aren't you? The session doesn't start for another twenty minutes, but welcome to the Leilehua Counseling Center," she said, her voice a gentle tenor. "I'm Makani Blancarte, the undergraduate counseling intern for this group."_

_He stiffened. An intern? Anger washed over him at once, aimed not at her, but at the doctor who had referred him to this place. As serene as she looked, she didn't yet have the credentials to tackle the sorts of issues he had, and he hated wasting his time._

"Scheiße, ein Schüler wird mir helfen?_" he spat out, pacing around the room furiously._

_She was undaunted. "Yes, I am still a student, but I'm one of the top in the psychology department at the University of Hawaii. I will help you in any way I can. And yes, I can understand German."_

_He stopped in his tracks at that. Narrowing his eyes at her, he asked, "_Glauben sie, daß sie auf das vorbereitet sind, was ich ihnen ùber mein Leben offenbare werde?_"_

Do you think you are prepared for the things I will reveal about my life?

_Without skipping a beat, she nodded solemnly. "I'm willing to guide you through anything that is haunting you, Mr. Erikson."_

_He grunted. She actually did seem to know at least an intermediate level of German, although it looked like she wasn't as confident speaking it. After some deliberation, he decided to return the favor._

"_Do not bother to call me that. Jesper Erikson died a long time ago," he told her gruffly._

"_Very well. What should I call you?"_

_He pointed to the German word for "warrior" tattooed across his left bicep._

"_Krieger."_

Had he known during their first meeting that she would be going from the lovely _lotusblüte_ to the cross-dressing tomboy she was now, he wouldn't have agreed to train her as a bartender. And had he known that she would be completely dense to his feelings after all this time, he wouldn't have followed her all the way to the Citadel.

In defiance of his wishes, she had gone home with the green-eyed blonde woman who had shown up at Dark Star Lounge earlier that night. He was sitting in one of the back alleys of Zakera Ward, cleaning his nails with the tip of his switchblade as he kept the woman's apartment building across the road in his line of sight. The grim set of his lips was intimidating in the reflection of the blade's steel, and he stared at the multiple scars marring his face, noting how tired he looked.

"_You're my bodyguard foremost. Please just do your job."_

Krieger was a tough bastard, a badass in all definitions of the term. Six feet tall, sporting a buzz cut and a trimmed blond beard, and two hundred and fifty pounds of pure chiseled beef, the German man emanated an aura that firmly requested for others to stay the fuck away from him. He'd been known to snap the necks of criminals without a second thought, rip apart bolted fixtures with his bare hands, and take three bullets to the chest before saying, "Ow," and dropping to one knee. The point was that not many things could faze someone of his mentality and endurance.

It just so happened that Kani Blancarte was one of them.

Her words had stung, more than he'd care to admit. After nearly two years of acquaintance and one year of intimate cohabitation, she had broken through the walls he had placed around his heart, his humanity. There was a warmth and honesty to her character that was rare in this galaxy, and no matter what persona she exhibited—be it her suave bartender act or her tranquil counselor role—these traits were always present. To his own surprise, he had fallen for her.

However, that in itself brought on a host of problems because, as he'd learned the hard way, her personality was multi-faceted. The warmth disguised a cold perspective toward romance and love, the honesty sidestepped the secrets of her past. She had a problem of lusting after other women and had probably been with twice as many as his number. He had let it go previously, but he was no longer satisfied with simply being her bodyguard and enough was enough. Admittedly, he could have confronted her about it in a more tactful way, but his jealousy had reached sizeable proportions.

So now here he was, doing his "foremost" job and keeping a lookout while she slept with some random woman instead of him. As angry as he was with her, he needed to know she would get home safely.

Footsteps approaching from around the corner reached his trained ears. Silently, he slid behind a stack of large crates, melding with the shadows as he gripped the switchblade in one hand. Two figures entered the alley, talking in hushed tones and scanning the area with their omni-tools. Krieger peered through the edges of the crates, blue eyes narrowed as the newcomers stepped into the neon lights. One was a salarian, the other a batarian. Their armor bore no trace of affiliation with any particular group, mercenary or otherwise, but the weapons at their sides tipped him off to their likely profession. After all, he had been one himself. Guns for hire.

"Tell me again why we're scoping out this place?" the batarian asked impatiently, no longer whispering. "It's that one, by the way."

Krieger's pulse began racing when the apartment Kani had gone into was pointed out.

"Every detail about her life, no matter how minute," the salarian replied. He was typing something on his omni-tool. "Those were his instructions."

The other issued a noise of irritation. "Why did we take this contract? He doesn't even want her dead. Though I guess I can see why..."

"No, but he's paying good credits to have us play spies." A nasally-sounding chuckle (even though salarians lacked noses). "It's good to mix things up a bit."

"Damn it... knew I should've joined the Blue Suns with my cousin Cathka when I had the chance. Whatever. As long as I eventually get to shoot someone. Or screw her. Either one."

"Didn't know you were into humans," the salarian remarked absently as he tapped a few more commands into his omni-tool before closing the interface. "Done. Information is sent. Let's get out of here."

Krieger nearly shook his head as they left the area. The first rule as a hired gun was to take a contract and shut the fuck up about it until it was complete. These amateurs had verbalized half the details of their current job for all to hear. But their incompetence aside, it was still troubling to know that someone had placed a hit on one of the women inside that apartment.

But whom were they referring to... the blonde woman or Kani?

x-x-x-x-x

"_Krieger, was there anything you'd like to share with the group today?" Kani asked patiently._

_He glowered at her. This whole group counseling bullshit was a waste of time. She was too calm and passive to make a difference for any of them, these other people were idiots whining about the stupidest things, and his doctor was a deranged asshole who was stuck on the idea that this program was the best thing for him. He was beyond pissed off._

"_For the fourth time today, no," Krieger snapped. He was ready to jump from his seat and fling his chair through the window._

_She only nodded in that calm way that was beginning to grate on him. "All right. We'll end the session here. Thank you for attending, everyone. See you all next week."_

_He lingered while the others filed out, watching her move to her desk to stack her papers together. Once they were alone, he strode up to her._

"_You are a nice girl. But it has been weeks and this group is not helping me," he declared in irritation. "Since my doctor is crazy himself and still thinks this is best, I got an idea. Counsel me one-on-one."_

_Her neutral expression didn't change as she said, "I'm sorry, Krieger, but my assignment for my internship is to be a group counselor. I can't counsel you individually."_

"_You want to help me or not?" he snarled. "I tried to kill myself before family sent me to the mental hospital. I now make effort to survive and recover, but want it on my terms."_

_Kani remained steadfast. "Since you know you want individual sessions, I may not be the right person to help you after all. If you'd like, I can write up a recommendation for your doctor to transfer you to a therapist—"_

"_So you are giving up on me as well?" He was outraged. After all her pretty words and promises of doing her best to guide him through his issues, she was prepared to drop him just like that._

"_No, I'm not giving up on you, I'm merely stating that you may benefit elsewhere."_

_He took a step closer, using his height advantage to loom over her tiny form. The rage was burning in his blood, though this time he was unsure what he was angry about most. "All you psychology fuckers are the same. Thinking you can help people with problems you know nothing about. Don't know why society still has your career field."_

"_Krieger, whether we're in session or not, I'd prefer if you refrain from saying offensive comments like that," she told him, a sudden sharpness in her gaze._

_So. Even the lotus flower had prickly thorns._

_But he was too worked up, too blinded by his boiling temper to back down. "What do you know? You still are a cheerful student with no clue how real world works. You think you can help people decades older than you?"_

"_Not that I owe an explanation to you, but I have to start somewhere," Kani replied edgily. She had become tense, standing her ground in the shadow of his hulking frame as her collected exterior began to chip away._

"_Wake up, princess. This world is a sick place. Wars still happen here even after we find out about alien species. Humans still kill each other," he seethed. "You have no _idea_ how bad it gets."_

_He didn't know why he was directly antagonizing her now, but his fury had built up such momentum that he probably wouldn't cease until she started crying and gave up her delusional dream of professional counseling. He normally wasn't a bully, especially toward decent young women eleven years his junior. But right now, he was losing his mind._

_To her credit, she was nowhere near tears. "I'm not some brainless idealist imagining sunshine and rainbows." Her voice had taken on a hard edge and her almond eyes glinted warningly. The counselor was completely gone from her demeanor. "So please stop verbally attacking me, and I'll forget this conversation happened."_

"_You think this is a verbal attack? Try getting cursed three ways to hell by everyone around you for something you failed," he yelled. He didn't care anymore how he appeared or if this was a surefire ticket back to the mental hospital. "You see the things I've seen, you would hate everything, too! Centuries after women's liberation and your gender still viewed as weaker. Women are still raped and abused every day, Makani. Their bodies violated and spirits destroyed."_

"_Yes, well, that didn't stop _me_ from pressing on. You say you've seen it? I've actually _lived_ it!"_

_They both froze at her outburst, and horror swept over her face when she realized what she'd disclosed. His wrath vanished in an instant, his temper plummeting down to curl up into shame. He felt incredibly stupid at that moment. In the time he'd known her, he had been misled by her positive outlook, her ready smile, and her natural charm. She had come off as wide-eyed and innocent, untainted by the atrocities of reality. He'd gotten her completely wrong, had assumed someone like her didn't know the meaning of the word "suffering." And as a result, he had made an utter fool of himself._

"_I'm... sorry. I was out of line," he muttered, wanting the floor to open up and swallow him._

_She regained her composure and sighed deeply. "It's fine. I apologize for raising my voice." Turning, she began to gather her datapads and folders. "Tell you what. I'll make room in my schedule for a one-on-one with you after the group sessions. Don't mention it to anyone because it violates the terms of my internship. If you still feel like I can help you, I'm willing to give it a try."_

"_Yes. Thank you," he said awkwardly, taken aback by her continued civility. "But if I may ask... you went through those things, but why you seem so peaceful?"_

_She was quiet for a minute before answering sincerely. "Because I was strong enough to move on and keep going. I'm trying to become a counselor so I can support those who aren't." With her belongings in her arms, she started for the exit, pausing to send him an unreadable look. "I just want to help other people. That's all."_

Krieger had never forgotten that turning point in their lives. It was one of his most closely guarded memories, a reminder that not all that glitters is gold, that even the sweetest person could have a past straight from hell. He and Kani had come far since meeting in that little counseling center in Hawaii. And while he was probably the closest to being happy since his childhood, the two of them still had their share of quarrels.

She had returned the next morning—from Eva Harper's place, she said the blonde woman's name was—with a ready apology. Krieger, preoccupied with thoughts of the two grunts he'd seen in the alley and still peeved at her for refusing to change her skirt-chasing ways, brushed her off. She gave him a wide berth of space after a while and didn't push him to speak to her, which he couldn't decide if he appreciated or found annoying. He knew she missed his company, and he missed her as well, but she wasn't aggressive or needy and he was too stubborn to be the first to break the silence. So for the next week, both of them were fairly miserable.

In an effort to ignore Kani's new coping mechanism of jumping into bed with several more women, he spent his time attempting to track down the one who ordered the hit, retracing the grunts' steps for any possible leads. During his days off work, he scoured the clubs and bars in the other wards, hoping for a tip on any suspicious activity. C-Sec was a no-go, as he'd made himself somewhat infamous with the organization due to his occasional bout of temper and subsequent property destruction. But he persevered in his search. He wanted to know for sure if Kani was the target, and if so, he intended to eliminate everyone involved with the contract.

He briefly toyed with the idea of striking a deal with the Shadow Broker through his known agent Barla Von, but decided against it, not wanting to involve Kani in such shady business. Instead, he employed the assistance of a man known as Mouse, a former "duct rat" and information gatherer on the underground workings of the Citadel. They planned a meeting in the catwalks of the 800 Block a few nights after the discovery of the contract.

"Okay, rodent, what you got for me?" Krieger demanded once Mouse's lanky form appeared in front of him.

"Look, _Herr Blitzkrieg,_ the name's Mouse—oh God, sorry!" the smaller man back-pedaled when Krieger took a threatening step toward him, revealing the bulked-up mass he was up against. "Just a joke. Call me whatever you want. I suddenly don't mind after seeing you up close, Mr. Krieger."

"Start talking before I throw you squeaking over the railing."

"Right, yeah. So all I got from the network was that there's no significant change to the number of contracts among all the freelance mercs and hired guns on the station."

"And?"

"And... that's it."

Krieger cracked his knuckles, his expression going dangerous. "You waste my time and money to tell me you got nothing?"

"I... uh... I'm sorry?"

A brief pause. "...Say good bye, roadkill."

"Wait!" Mouse exclaimed, jumping back at least five feet. "There was one recent contract that stood out from the rest!"

Krieger stopped, lowering the fist he was about to drive into the other man's face. "Why not just say that first, stupid?"

"Listen, I'm not actually supposed to know this bit. I just happened to stumble onto it while getting intel on an unrelated case," Mouse stammered. "Two hired guns, most likely the same ones you saw in that alley. A batarian named Brulak and a salarian named Jyroth. Both have connections to the big merc groups on Omega, but they strictly work freelance here."

"Sounds right. Keep going."

"They're not exactly known for their discretion. I overheard one of their calls to the guy who put out the contract. Their job is to watch and report on the target, not kill her. I have no clue why they were hired for a task more suited to my line of work."

"So who is he? And who is the target?"

"It wasn't a vid call, so don't know anything about the guy. And I'm still not sure whether the target is Eva or Kani."

Krieger could feel his temper rising. "You tell me shit I already know, roadkill."

"Hey, I gave you the grunts' names, didn't I? Doesn't that count for something?"

"No, not unless you tell me where to find them."

"They're good at covering their tracks to make up for the fact that they're loudmouths, so I can't help you there, either. But," Mouse added when Krieger's biceps flexed, "it did sound like Brulak is looking to drop out of the contract. Seems he took a personal interest in the target, so you should probably be on the lookout for him. And also, if Kani _is_ the one they're after, you'll be seeing them again. Everyone knows you're her bodyguard."

Krieger contemplated that grimly. After spending another five minutes interrogating the terrified man, he allowed Mouse to go—sprinting—on his way. He began to reconsider the wisdom of publicizing their bodyguard-charge relationship since anyone after Kani could simply get rid of him first. Then again, he boasted two dozen gunshot scars all over his body. He was difficult as fuck to kill.

x-x-x-x-x

_The atmosphere was becoming awkward as Kani sat across from him, waiting for him to answer. He knew he had to speak up, especially since she was doing the individual counseling for him on her own time. But the question, so directly asked, had brought on a torrent of negative emotions that turned his mouth to stone. He felt his hands growing clammy, his heartbeat quickening._

_She glanced down at her datapad. "I can move on to the next question..."_

"_No," he started, louder than he'd intended. Taking a few seconds to collect himself, he went on, "I... no, the first incident was in my late teens. There was an accident at the dance club."_

_She nodded for him to continue._

_He clasped his hands together and leaned his forehead into them, shutting his eyes. "I had brought my girlfriend at the time. She... was pregnant."_

_Kani was typing into her notes. "And something happened to her?"_

"_A bar fight started. She was hit in her stomach," he said, barely above a whisper. "Someone got me in the face with a beer bottle and I could not protect her. We lost the baby."_

_While Kani was good at hiding her true feelings as a counselor, she couldn't quite disguise the empathy in her gaze when he looked up at her. "I'm sorry," she told him quietly._

_He searched her face, catching a glimpse of sorrow that was gone as soon as he recognized it. She lowered her eyes again, full lashes fanning out over her cheekbones as she scrolled through her datapad. The disclosure wasn't as mortifying as he'd thought it would be. In fact, he felt almost as if a weight had been lifted. But for some reason, he didn't believe it was necessarily the act of opening up to a counselor. It was because it was Kani he was talking to. He felt that he could trust her._

"_I joined the German Navy some time after. She and I could not take the pain and broke up," he continued. "I was an engineer. Damn good with tech. I was selected by the Systems Alliance for a special mission with the colonies."_

_Kani's eyebrows rose at this information. "Really? Your file doesn't mention any involvement with the Alliance during your military service."_

"_It was kept hush-hush. Only a handful of us from Earth got the assignment. We had to escort colonists wanting to move to our homeworld. I was only a petty officer second class, but was the ship engineer for the group going to Germany. They were from Bekenstein."_

_She wasn't typing anymore, merely watching him in interest._

_He ran his hand over his face. "There were some sick bastards on that ship. Alliance officers, even. Eight of them. Most of the Bekenstein group was women. You can guess what those guys were after."_

"_I see. And you were forced to witness the abuse?"_

_He suddenly stood, pacing in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. "They took many women to the cargo hold for... what is English word? Gang-bang. My supervisor and I were the only ones from German Navy. The Alliance CO and XO did not believe us when we reported it and would not even go to check. I then tried for almost one hour to override the lock on cargo hold door. I could see and hear everything through the window."_

"_What happened to the women afterwards?"_

"_What do you think? They were broken. Never said a word about it when we arrived in Germany. They left Bekenstein with dreams of starting new lives on Earth, but ended up in that nightmare. I could hear their screams in my sleep for months. The bastards got away with it. There is no such thing as justice."_

"_You blame yourself for not being able to save them?"_

_He rounded on her. "Of course I do! I was ship engineer and I couldn't get past one fucking door to help them! Tell me that isn't bullshit!"_

"_It's a tragic shame, but you did what you could. You reported it. You actively attempted to get to them. Even if you weren't able to reach them, you didn't just sit by and ignore it. You were the one who did more to help those women than anyone else on that ship."_

"_Yeah, but it didn't make a goddamn difference," he fumed. "And you want to know how I got my nickname? Once we landed in Germany, those fuckers came to me and said, 'Better luck next time, _Krieger_. Go be a warrior where your existence actually matters.'"_

He had gotten the tattoo on his bicep not long after that mission. For a decade and a half he wore it as a symbol of his past failures, his continuing struggles to repent, and his intent to do everything within his power to protect the innocent for the rest of his life. And after he met Kani, it became the physical mark of his connection to her.

The days leading up to Commander Shepard's funeral were quiet and uneventful. He stood in his corner in Dark Star, watching the ceremony with the other staff on the vid screen. He'd had the honor of meeting Jane Shepard a few months back when she'd passed him on the way to the Presidium. She had been respectable and charismatic, willing to chat and answer questions even though she was a busy woman. He'd been impressed with her knowledge of German culture even though she had grown up on starships. And when she mentioned the possible existence of the Reapers, he had no reason to doubt her.

The Battle of the Citadel had been chaotic and brutal. Thanks to Shepard's heads up, however, Krieger had been able to prepare before the geth invasion. Many perished during the tragic event, but he had kept Kani safe, and that was all that mattered to him. But now, Shepard's death hit him hard. He had never gotten the opportunity to thank her and communicate his appreciation for her service, bravery, and integrity. She had been spaced, her body was never found. It was a terrible way to die, but she'd gone out in the line of duty as the proud Alliance officer she was.

Thousands were in attendance at the funeral in Citadel Tower. Shepard's family, dignitaries, Alliance officers, Spectres, Council delegates, and the crew of the _Normandy_ stood out amongst the other attendees in the main gallery. Krieger spotted the asari archaeologist Dr. Liara T'Soni sobbing heavily next to Hannah Shepard. For a brief moment, he wondered whether Kani would react that way if he perished. Once the speakers finished their good byes and Councilor Udina brought the ceremony to a close, Arenos switched off the screen.

"All right, everyone get ready for the stampede," the turian barked. "Between us and Flux, Kani says we'll probably get the ones who are actively crying."

Even then, Krieger didn't expect the flood of people that came pouring in within the hour. He kept a close eye on Kani as she hurried around the bar area mixing drinks, valiantly keeping her personable smile in place even as her short black hair grew damp from sweat. He noticed an odd step in her gait, as if moving was painful. Concern drew his brows together. Had she been attacked while he was gone from her side?

"Yeah, she's a girl," a female voice said above the music and chatter from somewhere to his right. A human redhead was sitting at a table with her girlfriends, all glancing in Kani's direction. "You can't tell under those loose clothes, but she's _tiny_. Poor thing wasn't prepared for what I had in mind for her last night..."

Krieger stalked off to make his hourly patrol of the lounge, having heard enough. Of course the cause was a woman. Kani had basically built herself a female harem in the past week.

The hours passed and Dark Star became unbearably cramped. Krieger was practically squashed into his corner by the sheer number of bodies present. His fists were sore from breaking up several fights and throwing out patrons by the number. Earlier a Malaysian woman had shown up to speak to Kani before drawing a decorated blade. He made it halfway across the lounge in three steps, but it seemed that the exchange was important because Kani had glared him back to his corner. His already sour mood slowly twisted into hostility.

He didn't understand her anymore. The rift between them had reached the distance of a chasm. Whatever she'd gotten involved in while he was investigating the possible contract on her was making his job exponentially harder. He had a feeling Eva Harper had something to do with it. He didn't trust that woman, didn't like the way she had latched onto Kani and showed up at the lounge almost every night. And if Kani was in danger because of her, he didn't care if she was female. He would eliminate her.

For the first time in a long while, he was at his absolute limit. And tonight, he was fated to snap.

His blood pulsed in his ears when he caught sight of Brulak sitting at the bar, watching Kani. She was the target. He didn't know how he had missed the batarian coming in, but as soon as Brulak seized her by the front of the shirt and yanked her over, all he saw was red. He charged a path straight to them, running over the hapless bodies in his way. With both hands he grabbed hold of Brulak's skull and slammed his face forward into the bar counter.

After that... Krieger couldn't remember. He had blacked out in a whirlwind of fury, his mind yielding to the killer instinct that possessed his body. Vaguely, he recalled screams, cheers, and Kani's voice in his ear, calming him down. The next thing he knew, he was on a shuttle ride home, hands bruised and covered in batarian blood. Once he and Kani arrived at their apartment, he realized his error. They were onto him now. Whether or not Brulak died from his injuries, the fact that Krieger had beaten him to a bloody pulp would be a red flag for Jyroth and the man who hired them. Krieger was known as an overprotective bodyguard, but his reaction had been far too severe.

They would soon know that he was aware of the contract. And they would come after him. He couldn't be around Kani when they did.

He quickly thought up a reason for leaving, yelled at her for being a whore, told her he'd lost respect for her and he was finished putting up with all of it. There was some truth to his words as he summoned all the pent up resentment he'd built toward her for the past week. He even made it all the way to the bedroom to begin packing his suitcase. But shouting those things at her was painful, especially when he saw the hurt and frightened look on her face. He was about to simply shut the suitcase and depart with what he had, but she stopped him with one word.

"Jesper!"

She was desperate, calling the name of a dead man when his current incarnation was about to abandon her. Krieger couldn't move even if he wanted to. Her little frame was almost shaking. There was genuine fear in her eyes. Her lips moved to beg him to stay, but no sound came out. He was at war with himself. He wanted her far away from him when trouble came, but at the same time he wanted to be around to make sure she was safe. After a while, she pulled herself together and reverted to the counselor, babbling about how it wasn't healthy for him to live in this environment with her or some shit. He felt his resolve crumble into sand. As if he could actually leave her.

He loved her too much.

They made up that night in a tangle of limbs and fervent kisses, communicating their apologies through the way they ravaged each other's bodies well into the early hours of the morning.

x-x-x-x-x

"_You've been doing very well in our sessions lately," Kani remarked as she smiled at him over her datapad. "How are your mood swings these days?"_

"_Better," he admitted grudgingly. "I don't want to kill as many fluffy bunnies anymore."_

_That rewarded him a surprising peal of laughter. "Well, that's good. Progress, right?"_

_He stared at her as she typed in a few more notes, noticing for the first time the diamond and peridot rings on her finger. "You are married?"_

"_Yes, I am," she replied offhandedly._

"_Your rings are beautiful."_

"_Thank you."_

_He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I've a serious question."_

_She was still looking down at her datapad. "Yes?"_

"_Can you share what happened to you?"_

_Her typing stilled and her gaze flickered to him, the color of her irises darker than normal. "I'm afraid I can't. That would be self-disclosing, and as a counselor I'm not free to do that."_

"_Then how about as a friend?"_

"_Krieger..."_

"_I have been more open because I don't consider you a counselor, Makani," he told her. "I consider you a friend. And there is sadness in you I see."_

_She hesitated, studying him._

"_Today's session is over. You can drop the counselor act. I know by now that it is only one part of you."_

_She was frowning now, the first time he'd seen her do so since the day they had blown up at each other. He could tell she wanted to reprimand him, but there was also a struggle behind that stark intelligence. Finally, she switched off her datapad and leaned back in her chair, her posture shifting from professional to leisurely._

"_Okay. I think of you as a friend, too," she said, her speech subtly different, more personal. "What exactly do you want to know?"_

"_What drove you to want to help others? And how did you find the strength to be as you are now?" He was legitimately curious. He had witnessed and gone through his share of traumatizing ordeals, and it had taken him years to even agree to seek help, much less get over them._

_Kani's eyes had grown detached, the warmth absent as she regarded him with an expression he'd never seen her wear before. "Short version? There have been two notable men in my life, not counting my husband. The first I still have nightmares about. I'll elaborate later. The second was the only person I was ever in love with."_

_Krieger managed to nod, taken aback by the coldness in her husky voice._

"_We were together for a long time, engaged for half of it. Then I found out he cheated so I broke off the relationship. After the fight, he insisted on driving me home." She barely blinked as she spoke the next words. "He crashed the car that night on a broken metal railing on the highway. He walked away with scratches. Me? Not so much. A steel rod impaled me. I almost died."_

"_WHAT?!" Krieger shouted. He had expected to hear the worst, but apparently even the worst couldn't compare to that._

"_I was rushed to the hospital. The rod had struck partially through my uterus. The doctors repaired what they could, and I was expected to make a full recovery." There was no bitterness, only a matter-of-fact tone. "However, during my recovery period, I was battered and raped while I was alone at home. It... complicated my injury. To this day, it's possible I may not be able to have a child."_

_What the hell was this? What did this girl do to deserve all this shit? He didn't know what to say. He only stared at her, dumbfounded. "Fuck..."_

_She was completely calm about it, but the turmoil beneath the surface was there. Inside she was crying. The pain was written in her eyes. But the strength that kept it all in check was remarkable. His ex-girlfriend had never been the same after they'd lost their unborn child. He had watched a group of women fall apart and shatter on that ship from Bekenstein to Germany. He didn't understand how Kani was here, on her own two feet and offering her help to others, when what she'd gone through would have completely annihilated anyone else._

"_Yes, I fell into a deep depression. Yes, I tried at more than one point to kill myself. But another life-and-death situation woke me up." Finally, the emotion broke through. She smiled at him, gently and sadly, as the tears came and trailed down her face._

_He felt his heart constrict for her. It was good to finally see her reveal the human part of herself. She was strong, but there was only so much burden one could carry. If there was one thing he felt for Kani, it was respect._

_She swiped at her cheeks and sat up straighter, the moment of weakness gone. "I pulled myself together. I had to survive. I had to keep going. Because that was the only choice I was giving myself."_

Kani was his inspiration to move forward with his life and leave the past behind. Without her, he didn't know where he would have ended up. Back in the mental hospital, in prison, or six feet underground. She had been there to support him. She was his foundation. And so he was going to make damn sure he didn't lose her.

The months passed with no sign of danger. A few more meetings with Mouse revealed that Brulak and Jyroth had all but disappeared. The knowledge wasn't comforting, but Krieger was staying vigilant. The instant either of those two popped back into view, he was going to use their faces as target practice for his Carnifax.

He and Kani were closer than ever, although her pesky former lover Eva was always around. The woman was even pregnant with his weapons supplier's child, and _still_ she felt inclined on spending time at Dark Star during their working hours. It was no wonder when rumors started circulating that Kani may have been the one to knock her up. He had half a mind to correct every idiot that spouted that crap in front of him by pitching them into a wall, but he knew Kani was maintaining her androgyny carefully and would rather endure the hearsay than reveal herself. Still, he would have preferred it if she'd at least wear lingerie again.

Christian Blancarte had called one afternoon. Up to that point, Krieger had nearly forgotten about his existence and didn't appreciate the reminder that Kani legally belonged with someone else. A marriage of convenience, she had told him. She and Christian had been best friends and married for medical and financial reasons right after all the shit she went through in Florida. She had relocated to Hawaii by herself to finish her last year of college, and Krieger wished to God he had met her before she'd wedded another man.

So when he learned that she was possibly going back to Earth to try to start a family with her husband, Krieger threw a tantrum. And not just any tantrum. He managed to singlehandedly destroy half a district in Zakera Ward, fueled by rage at the thought of her leaving him to start a life of domesticity with the spouse she barely even cared about. During his rampage, however, he made a crucial discovery.

When he had torn off the malfunctioning door of an abandoned warehouse, he saw something slip by in his peripheral vision. Chucking the door to the side, he surged forward and around the corner, where the salarian Jyroth had the misfortune of finding himself at a dead end. Their eyes locked for a fraction of a second before both drew their weapons. Jyroth was quick, but Krieger was quicker. He shot the salarian in the chest, missing his heart but hitting a vital artery. Jyroth went down with a strangled groan, and Krieger had him by the neck before he hit the ground.

"Who hired you?" Krieger snarled, pressing the barrel of the Carnifax against Jyroth's head.

"Heh... wouldn't you like to know?"

"Talk or I shove this gun down your throat."

Jyroth spat at him. "Even if you kill me, he's three steps ahead of you. I'm not saying nothing."

Krieger's blood boiled. "Then open wide."

He rammed the Carnifax into Jyroth's mouth and pulled the trigger. The back of the salarian's head and neck promptly exploded, spraying the concrete with orange matter. He swiped the omni-tool from the corpse and easily hacked into the secure hard drive, moving through the interface and checking all activity logs. His stomach turned to lead when he realized that Jyroth had been following his movements for months, sending coordinates of his locations and patterns to an encrypted address that he would need time to decode.

And that was when C-Sec arrived. The scene could not have looked more compromising. He was abruptly arrested (again) and placed behind bars overnight. In the morning he was brought before the exasperated Executor Pallin, the turian head of C-Sec who had seen his face in his office one too many times. Jyroth's omni-tool had been confiscated, but after explaining the contract on Kani, he was given a community service order and a smack on the hand with the promise that C-Sec would look into the case. While Pallin disliked him on the basis that he was human, and a troublesome one at that, he had known Krieger for a year and recognized that he was the honorable sort. Even if he did need to work on his anger management.

Returning home to find that Kani had also just arrived after spending the night with yet another woman drove him crazy. In his anxiety over her safety, displeasure over her return to Earth, and stress over retaliation for Jyroth's death, he went into a lust-fueled frenzy that kept her close to him at all times. She only seemed to mind when he pulled her to the back for quickies at work, so he continued with the new frequency of their lovemaking, just wanting her near and in his grasp. He was beginning to feel helpless, something he found he hated, even with Mouse gathering intel and C-Sec actively working to find out who wanted to target Kani.

The most he could do to hold onto his sanity right now was to physically make sure that she was still with him.

x-x-x-x-x

_He walked into her office just in time to see her give herself a papercut._

"_Ow! Motherfucker!" Kani cursed in a way terribly unbefitting of a counselor, her back to him. "It's 2182, why the hell do we still have fucking hard copies of these goddamn books? Holy shit, this stings..."_

"_Did not know the _lotusblüte_ could swear like a sailor."_

_She started at the sound of his voice and whirled around, horrified. "Krieger! There is no session today. What can I help you with?"_

_He actually snickered at her attempt to compose herself. "Please, Makani, we are friends now, _ja_? And is not session day so just be yourself around me."_

_She relaxed and examined the cut on her finger, a small grin on her lips. "Well in that case, you need to start calling me Kani."_

Soon after that, when his time with the counseling program was complete, he made the first move. They became intimate, and he stayed in Hawaii with her until they relocated to the Citadel. Krieger learned who she really was as a person. He found out her imperfections and her downfalls, but loved her despite them all. And while there were many positive things she revealed about her character, her most distinguishing trait was her huge heart for others. And he was willing to do anything to make certain that that heart kept beating.

Several more months passed undisturbed, and Kani had gone to be with Eva while she gave birth to her hellspawn. Krieger had taken the opportunity to hit the shooting range since Eva wouldn't be there and blew off some steam via continuous headshots on the cardboard targets. Once he got home he was finally starting to feel less apprehensive, but when Kani returned from the hospital, he could tell something was wrong.

"_Liebste_, what happened?"

She had her poker face on, but her voice was distraught. "I can't go back to Earth right now. I don't want to think about pregnancy, kids, or a family. Christian can divorce me if he wants. I can't do any of it."

Krieger reached up and pulled her onto his lap on the couch. She curled up into a little ball against his chest, almost like a child, and he held her tightly in the quiet of their living room. He knew precisely why she was in this mood. For a woman struggling with infertility, watching a live birth must have been unbearable. A reminder of what you lost and what you could have had. He understood that part very well.

He had learned some time ago of the one who haunted her nightmares, the central cause of her pain: John Covington.

And he needed to ask the question that had been tugging at him for nearly a year. "Kani. The reason you think you cannot have children. The one who attacked and raped you after your surgery..."

She nodded, face buried in the crook of his neck. "It was John."

Krieger had sworn he would protect her. His job was to keep her safe. And he would regret, for the rest of his life, the one time he didn't stand in his corner in Dark Star Lounge.

Brulak had reared his ugly head again. On their way to work one evening, Krieger had spotted the batarian standing none too discreetly across the road, eyeing him in challenge. He hurriedly pushed Kani into the building and instructed her to go up to the lounge as fast as possible because he had a job to finish. When she did, he turned and gave chase to the grunt, who opened fire on him as he ran. Krieger was struck in one shoulder, but his armor deflected the bullet. He countered with his own shots, finally catching the batarian in the leg. Brulak toppled forward and skidded into a row of trash cans in an alley similar to the one across from Eva's apartment.

"It seems I did not kill you properly last time," Krieger rumbled as he aimed the Carnifax at Brulak's head. "I will not make the same mistake again."

To his annoyance, the batarian started laughing from the ground. "Go ahead. Game's over, anyway, hero. He's played you in the palm of his hand from day one."

"I made the salarian eat my thermal clip when he did not answer this question. Maybe you don't like the taste of bullets as much. I will ask only once. Who put out the contract for Kani?"

"Someone smart enough to use two hired guns as decoys, convert your intel 'expert' Mouse to a double agent, and avoid complete detection from C-Sec." Brulak laughed harshly. "If I wasn't about to die, I'd be applauding his genius."

The revelation stopped Krieger's heart. "What do you mean, decoys?"

"Didn't you wonder why Jyroth and I were on a contract to spy on the target? We're fucking guns for hire, we don't do that espionage shit. Turns out we were just used as decoys to lure you away from her while _he_ went in and gathered info on her firsthand," Brulak replied, glaring at him maliciously with all four bulbous eyes. "On Shepard's funeral day, when I showed up at the lounge—and you beat the shit out of me, you fucker—it was a test to see whether either one of you was aware of the contract. When Jyroth showed up while you were demolishing Zakera, she was being watched when she went to Purgatory. And even this time you ran after me, leaving her all alone."

Krieger wanted to rip the smirk off Brulak's face.

"So... guess who's over at the lounge with her now."

The blood in the bodyguard's veins instantly ran cold. "One last chance. Who is he?"

"Who the fuck do you think? An old friend of hers. A very... _persistent_ old friend of hers."

He knew then at that moment. "John Covington."

"Good job, hero. That took you only until it was too late to figure it out."

Krieger still had the Carnifax pointed at him and began to squeeze the trigger.

The batarian was too consumed by hatred to fear his imminent demise. "And for the record, yeah, if you hadn't interfered, I would have taken Kani back to my place and fucked her raw."

Brulak's head snapped back as the bullet lodged itself in the middle of his forehead.

Krieger left the body there and practically flew to Dark Star. This couldn't be real. He had been so careful, so watchful. Once he barreled through the doors, he found the bartenders all arguing amongst themselves. Kani wasn't there.

"What the hell is going on? Where is Kani?" he demanded, stomping up to the bar with more aggression than usual to hide the sheer terror that washed over him.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Arenos told him, voice flanging in worry. "She disappeared a while ago."

Panic wasn't something Krieger normally experienced, and it was an unwelcome feeling when Kani didn't come home that night. He couldn't reach her omni-tool, C-Sec had been slow to respond to his demands to investigate her disappearance, and he could feel his world falling apart as more time flew by without any word. He should have seen something like this coming. His suspicions had all been correct, but they hadn't been accurate enough.

He looked for her day and night, restless in his search. He interrogated her past lovers, harassed her friends from the other clubs in the wards. Many of her fans and regular patrons joined him. She was the flair bartender of Dark Star, and people weren't simply going to sit around when she'd been taken from them. His plan to hunt down and dismember Mouse for double-crossing him was foiled when the duct rat went into hiding. For months he tore through the Citadel to find any clue, any trace that could hint at where she'd gone to. Or where she'd been kidnapped to.

When he wasn't out searching for her, he spent his days rotating between destroying things, sitting at home in a drunken stupor, and crying into her belongings. This was the worst he'd ever felt, completely alone and lost without her. But he had to keep believing that she was all right. She had fought through so much in life. She was a survivor.

And yet, someone could only survive for so long.

Kani was gone. And nearly one year later, in 2185, she was still missing.


	21. Alice Liddell 3: Integration

**Alice Liddell 3: Integration**

**Written and submitted by KendokaGirl**

**Twenty Five Months After the Battle of the Citadel - Mission Day 01 - 1056 STS Ops - 0841L**

The enemy was broken and the hunt was on. The loss of Sovereign seemed to take the "heart" out of the geth and their resistance became increasingly disorganized and ineffective in the months after the battle. Still, they were a threat to be contended with and we couldn't let our guards down. In my blue flight suit, I walked into the briefing room with our CO, Commander Pete "Lasagna" Mitchell and the room came to attention.

JJ called out, "Commander on deck. Ten-hut!"

Lasagna, a big bear of a man with a thick, dark bushy beard and eyebrows, waved his hand at the crew. "As you were. Take your seats."

The crew sat back down, the sounds of shuffling and moving chairs filling the room. All along the walls were pictures of martial glory, both photos and paintings of the various ships and craft of the Alliance along with inspirational messages in art. Unit plaques and trophies sat in a glass case that showed our squadron _esprit de corps_. As the XO, I stood besides the commander for the operational briefing. I looked up at the clock on the wall and then held up my omni-tool, activating the chronometer. "Time hack in three, two, one...hack. This briefing is classified, secret. All clearances are current."

Lasagna took the podium. "Our mission is to pave the way for Alliance forces to drive the geth out of Sector N35. We'll be conducting SIGINT at standoff range to catalog geth lidar and communications frequencies. These will, unfortunately, go to SPACOM J-2 for analysis. Once we get the word from J-3 at Operations, we'll support the assault with electronic warfare. I appreciate your attention. Don't fuck it up," he added with his characteristic edgy humor.

I stepped back in with a chuckle. Lasagna and I enjoyed the same type of sarcastic comedy. "S-2, let's hear the intell briefing," I said, pointing to Lieutenant JG Katie "KD" Logan.

Katie was a good egg, a cute little blonde with blue eyes. She really stepped up to the plate to help me when I had a difficult project and she, Kelli, and I became good friends. I only wished the Alliance had been better to her. She came up to the podium and powered on her omni-tool. A floating image of a sector of space came up that showed a planetary system and about two dozen red triangles. "Sector N35 has been a hotbed of geth activity lately as many of their forces have retreated there after we retook Sector M37. They've been running interdiction on our convoys from this planet here." A closer in image of the planet came up and showed three geth space stations with attendant vessels and fighters. The station armament was heavy and we didn't want to get too close to that. "Each station's guns have an effective range of one hundred kilometers and are supported by TOPHAT, JACKAL, and ROVER EYE lidar, which provides three sixty coverage for both surveillance and targeting."

The image changed to show a tactical schematic of the geth ships and fighters. "Drone recon shows five squadrons of _Fireflies_, short-range fighters with dual plasma cannons. There are six _Wasp-Class_ frigates, two _Bumblebee-Class_ destroyers, and one _Mantis-Class_ cruiser. Data will be forwarded to your omni-tools. Nothing further."

I stepped back in. "Okay, thank you, S-2. Our mission time is tomorrow at 0100. We'll have a final briefing before we step. Preflight is at 0145 and launch at 0215. Any questions?" There were none. "Very well. Ten-hut!" Everyone stood as Lasagna and I departed.

Our crew chief, George, caught me as we walked down the hall. "Major, I just fixed the yaw servo on the bird so you guys should be good to go."

"Thanks, chief. You guys really take care of us." Since taking over as XO, I began to realize just how much time and effort went into maintaining our craft. "We'll bring you back a flashlight head."

"That would make my day, major."

I continued down the hall, having a few more walking conversations to tie up loose ends before the op. I turned the corner to see the J-2 Group Command Staff loitering down the hall and I turned back around to find another way. I saw a couple other people do the same and we all exchanged nervous smiles. I had the misfortune of having seen the Top, the master chief petty officer of the Group. I felt soiled at the mere sight of him - a grasping self-server who "earned" his title through politics. The man wouldn't know a geth if it bit him on the ass. We'd taken to calling him Scatbrain, a bastardization of his name. Then, there was the general, dubbed Pointy Haired Boss, a man, whose IQ hovered around room temperature on a winter day. The winner of the hero of a hostile power award went to Margot Kimmel though, dubbed Darth Marge. That woman was toxic. The three of them were like a black hole of sanity, sucking all reason down into the drain. We imagined that there was a shrine, dedicated to them, on Kar'shan since they had such a destructive impact on Alliance operations.

I still couldn't wrap my head around the constant stream of blathering texts that they sent about inane things: inventories, audits, forms, even painting rocks in the driveway. They had no idea that there was a war on. They once had me cancel a real world mission because I had the duty and a crazy man was ranting at the gate. Pointy Haired Boss would waste hours of everyone's time having meetings just to plan meetings. You couldn't make that stuff up. And Darth Marge, I could write a book just on her.

Just seeing them put me on edge so I ran by my office and grabbed my gear. I needed to work off the stress and erase that sight from my memory. Today, I felt like some competition. I could hear the crossing of blades in the gym so I hit the locker room and pulled out my fencing knickers. I threw on the tight white jacket after and grabbed my mask. On my way out I looked over to the weapons rack and admired the variety of steel that was on display. There, on the side was _my _foil, a slender, gently curved four sided blade with a custom Belgian grip, made just for my hand. My first _maitre d'armes d'escrime_ crafted it for me years ago when I was back in high school. I pulled it off the rack and headed to the piste for a workout.

I needed a lesson pretty badly and the chief instructor was available. I held my mask in my left hand and raised my foil high with my right in a salute, brought the belgarde to my lips and then swished it low and away. "Alice," he said in a distinct French accent, "It is good to see you again. You are away too often."

"Thank you, MaitreLeon, it's been too long. I'm sure I'm a bit rusty."

"We shall see. If so, we tune you up, _oui_? _Engarde, s'il vous plait._" He gave an easy opening and I extended my arm and lunged, the tip of my foil hitting his thick leather jacket, bending the flexible blade upward. Maitre ran his blade along mine, a signal to recover. No sooner did my front foot return than he gave another opening. "_Attaque a marche._"

As I moved forward, he retreated, forcing me to close the distance. I made a short hop and then lunged again, leaning my upper body forward for the touch. Maitre ran his blade along mine again and I recovered. The moment I was back to engarde, he beat my blade and extended, his point right at my heart. I parried across my body with _quarte_ and launched an attack of my own, which was promptly parried. I could see the tip of his foil angling down, aiming for my flank. I swiveled my blade down to _octave_ and picked up his attack, bringing my tip back on line. Again, he retreated, forcing me to change the distance. I hopped in and lunged at the opening. "Eh la!"

Maitre ran his blade along mine one more time. "_Bon!_ Now you are ready for the real lesson, _oui_?"

I blew out a long breath and smiled behind my mask. "_Oui, je suis pret_." From there, it was an hour of wonderful, grueling torture until at last, I was soaked in sweat and panting for air, In the lesson finale we engaged in a phrase: attack, parry, riposte, parry, counter riposte. I swiveled my foil around in _contre-sixte_, picking up yet another thrust and tried to ram the point home. My arms were burning and my breath came in gasps, but maitre was barely breaking a sweat. He wrapped my blade up in a _pris-de-fer_, forcing my hand out of position. I could see the tip nearly at my chest. It was now or never. I let the power out of my legs and dropped down to the floor, displacing my entire body as I thrust outward with my foil. The _passata soto_ was well timed as his blade passed over my shoulder.

Maitre stepped back and nodded. I knew he let me have that one. It was a good training point. I recovered as he pulled off his mask and raised his foil over his head. I did the same and we both brought our weapons in front of our lips and then swished them low and away.

He wiped his brow under silver hair, walked up and patted me on the shoulder. "You still have much to learn, but it is not bad. We have camp again this summer. A spot is reserved for you. You will make _sha sha_ tonight?" he asked, referring to the Salle's notorious drinking party. Rumor had it that maitre was trying to ask for more Chablis, but was too drunk to get beyond mumbling.

"I'm sorry, maitre. I have a gig tomorrow and I'll be away a few days. I'll be back and I'd like to sample some more of your crepes."

"_Mais, bien sur._"

From there I showered up and rushed to my next meeting. The admin train never ended. Scatbrain had tapped several of our crew to do yet another inventory. It seemed that someone had misplaced the TV that was supposed to be in the workout room. I could see how that would be an emergency. I was tempted to send him an informational text about some war with the geth and pictures of the damage on the Citadel, but diplomacy got the better of me. I secretly admired guys like Lasagna and Dan "The Man" Ord who let it all hang out, consequences be damned. After my famous battles with Darth Marge, I'd grown a little timid. Back then, my mouth was constantly getting me in trouble, but I'd settled into a nice passive-aggressive mastery where few people fucked with me now.

On cue though, I heard Lasagna's booming voice coming from down the hall. "Are you shitting me? A fucking TV? I saw Scatbrain's panicked urgent message and I thought Sovereign was landing on earth! Fuck him! He can look for his own goddamn TV. Any of my people look for that TV while there's a war on and I'll kick their asses." A moment later he marched into my office and pointed at me. "Raven, nobody's going to help Scatbrain, you hear me? You stick them with a sword or something if you have to."

I gave him a broad smile and he gave me a wink in return. "Aye, sir. Be my pleasure." I loved how sanity reigned when he was around and we could keep the madness at bay just a little longer. "And Pete, you're making too much sense. You know what happens then?"

We both pointed at each other. "Seize him!" we said in unison.

Lasagna let out that deep belly laugh of his and stomped off in search of another bureaucratic battle to fight. I went back to my email and was immediately sorry that I did - Scatbrain was demanding an accounting of all of our supplies, I mean everything down to paperclips. I threw up my hands. "Fuck it, I'm outta here." All of the operational tasks were done so there was no sense in driving myself insane.

I dismissed the crew and caught a shuttle back to my quarters. I threw my uniform in the hamper and sat on the bed for a moment to take a breath. I realized I would be gone for a few days and Evan would be home soon. He was really a saint when it came right down to it - he often worked _pro bono_ for poor families seeking justice and was always willing to lend a hand and large amounts of money to his friends. Our relationship...stormy would be an understatement. When we were first married, we didn't leave the bedroom for days. But the fights...my Lord...over the stupidest things. There were at least six times I was ready to walk, but I stuck it out. I exhaled and put that thought aside to focus on the here and now. There were some great memories and I could sometimes bring those back to life.

I slid on a pair of black silk stockings, letting them glide up my legs onto my thighs. I pulled on my black leather boots after, strapping them on tight and then pulled everything else off. Those boots... I could make him roll over and bark like a dog when I wore just those. I made a contented sigh and thought that I might warm up while I waited. I reached down into my flight bag and found BOB in his soft case. I took out the long pink latex and leaned over to take a bottle and pour some thick liquid over the shaft. Just looking at it made my skin prickle in all the right places. I eased BOB down, finding the right spot and I licked my lips in anticipation.

Just before I could let BOB go any further, I heard the door open and shut out in the living room. I put BOB to the side. "Down boy," I whispered with a grin. I snuck up to the bedroom door and peeked out, holding my wet finger to my lips. The sight of me took his breath away and he gave me that half grin that I'd fallen in love with. I let just part of my body show, enough to let him know what I had in mind, but keeping the rest hidden for more mystery. I clasped a black silk collar around my neck as he approached and pulled off his tie. Yeah, I was a kinky one. He had his jacket off by the time he reached the door and I reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, pulling him into the room. He looked down at my boots and then slowly up past my stockinged thighs to my bare skin beyond. He blew out a long breath. "Wow...just wow."

I gave him a sidelong glance, batting my eyelashes. I giggled, glad to feel like a girl. The way he gazed at me made my skin flush and I could already feel a warm moisture between my legs. He stuck his finger under my collar and tugged me over to the bed. He flowed behind me and I felt a hand run softly down my back, cup my butt, and then work its way down through my thighs. I could feel the fabric of his clothes rub against my naked flesh and I could feel his desire. I leaned forward, spread my feet apart, closed my eyes and mouthed an "O."

I needed this. I really did.

Afterwards, we lay there, warm and contented, intertwined with arms and legs. He ran his finger along the line of my silk collar as I softly rubbed the leather of my boot on his ass. His finger traced a pattern on my throat and up to my lips. A moment of tension passed within me. I've known Evan long enough to know what could come next - some snarky comment, some petty insult. But he just smiled and I buried my head in the crook of his neck.

"You know I'll be away for a few day," I said quietly, not wanting to break the mood.

"I know. Fly safe...and don't think you'll escape housework that easily."

Ah, there it was...the housework. But this was pretty benign as far as the comments went. I took what I could get. I leaned over him to grab a tissue, letting my breasts brush along his face. I started to climb over him slowly, passing my tight abs over his eyes and then spreading my legs as my thighs came into his view. "Oh you minx!" he said and then reached around behind me, pulling me right to his mouth. I leaned down onto him, trying to revive him and he tensed to the touch of my lips.

Oh, I needed that too.

**Mission Day 01 - Later That Evening - Alice Liddell's Quarters - 2053 Hours**

I caught a long nap leading up to returning to work. Evan put one of our stuffed bears in my bag and I kissed him and the cats goodbye before heading out. One of the teams was out in the field, doing some final tune up training and I liked to join them when I could. The team lead sent me an earlier invite and I was excited to take him up on it. I grabbed gear out of the amory and threw on a hardsuit and helmet. The rangemaster radioed ahead to let the team leader know I was coming and heading out into the brush. Activating my NVG's, the world turned a bright shade of green and I could already see Lieutenant Commander Pat "Irish" O'Donnell waving me on. Big and square jawed with hardly any neck, Irish was the real deal, an N7 who'd been there, done that, got the t-shirt. He had the weirdest sense of humor, but if you liked tech, he was the ultimate gearhead.

"So, Raven," he said, taking a mock kung fu fighting stance and making growling noises, "you going to go all ninja on me?"

"You'd never know it if I did," I said, sticking my tongue out. "So, what do we have tonight?"

"Killing geth," he said, baring his teeth behind the facemask. He handed me a block of ammo. "Disruptor rounds. If those fuckers can feel pain, this'll do it. Fries their electronics."

"Outstanding!" I aimed the muzzle of my Hornet submachinegun at the ground and inserted the ammo block. It was a good weapon with an easy grip and a two or three round burst mode. My hand slapped the charging handle and a round chambered. He handed me a suppressor which I screwed onto the end of the barrel. I held the weapon down and tight to my chest as Irish led me through the tall grass to the killing field. It was an adrenaline charged moment and I loved it. I was the ultimate rush junkie. A strong wind blew the grass to and fro and I kept in close behind Irish, scanning the right quadrant as he scanned the left.

He stopped and took a knee, looking down at his omni-tool which had been dulled down for field ops. My earpiece crackled. "Geth heavy squad," he said. "Skirmishers on the flanks. Activate spectrum suppression. Prepare to sweep and engage."

We turned on an electronic field that dampened our heat and UV signatures and I followed him on an immediate offset to the right where we again took a knee. Through my NVG's I could see the first elements of a "geth squad" moving in open order. They were really mechs, but they were done up pretty well and looked like geth...enough to get my heart racing.

"I have the two on the left. Raven, you take right. On me. Stick and move." We both stood and unleashed rounds into our targets, one at a time. I put an IR laser sight right on one of my mechs and pressed the trigger. With the suppressor, the weapon was nearly silent, only a _shk shk, shk shk_ could be heard as the bolt cycled more ammo into the chamber. Four mechs fell before they could react and Irish sprinted down the fight flank with me in tow. We could hear the pop of simmunitions behind us as the mechs fired into our former position. The sims were safe, but could sting like hell and I didn't want that.

I could see more mechs crossing into our field of view, scanning, looking for targets. Sure, these mechs could, in no way, match the fighting prowess of the geth, but it was good training. "Once more," Irish said. "Stick and move."

On one knee, I raised the muzzle and moved the selector to fire. My IR laser settled on another mech and I pressed the trigger. _Shkshk shkshk._ I moved the laser to another target. _Shkshk shkshk._ This time, the enemy opened up before we could move. Sim tracers flew at us as Irish pumped a smoke grenade from his weapon. There was a white hot flash which my NVG's dampened and then gray smoke billowed in front of us. I moved to follow Irish to the new fighting position, but something stung me in the ass. I tripped and stumbled onto my knees.

Irish started laughing and held up a device that powered down the mechs. "Oh shit, Raven, there are no timeouts in real life, but that was just too funny to pass up." He looked up into the night sky. "Hey, you guys got this on tape? Yeah, yeah, send it to me, will you?"

I looked at my butt and there was a big orange splotch where the sim hit me. "Oh, fuck. Alright, I better get back to ops and make sure your ride actually works. Be a damn shame if an airlock blew on you."

He raised his visor and gave me a wink. "Okay, see you in ops, girl. That was fun, let's do it again sometime." He looked back up into the sky and rotated his finger in the air. "Yeah, I wanna make a vid of that. You know, music, the whole works. Let's take it again from the top...without the ass shooting again."

I just had to laugh. He and I, we went way back and there was never a moment of mercy. I gave him the finger without looking behind me and returned to the armorer. "Gunny, let me sign for these now," I told him. "I'll be out with the team for a few days."

"No problem, ma'am," he said and put a data pad out in front of me for my thumb print and retinal scan. As much as the day to day things annoyed me, the occasional field work still got my blood pumping. And if we could strike a blow in Commander Shepard's memory, so much the better.

**Mission Day 02 - Deep Space - 2011 Hours**

We'd been running under shift for the day, all signs of our Alliance affiliation having been removed, both physical and electronic. Lasagna and JJ had been reviewing the star charts and the ones that SPACOM J-2 had given us were completely inadequate. If we entered the geth held system like that, we'd likely run into a mine or a rock. Figures. It's a good thing we had our own line of information. Our intell officer, KD, sat on a console aft of Pops and Frenchie, reviewing source reporting. I looked back. "KD, you sure about this?"

"It's the only way. The senior analyst at J-2 doesn't have a clue."

"She is lost in space," JJ said with a chuckle. "Nice lady, doesn't belong where she's at."

I nodded in agreement. "At least she's nice. Scatbrain thinks _he's_ the commander, Pointy Haired Boss has the intelligence and personality of a bag of rocks, and Darth Marge...frost forms on the walls as she walks by."

"Oh, that was frost?" Pops asked mockingly. "It smelled like brimstone."

I put my fingers up to my head like horns. "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" The crew burst out laughing. "We forget that those in power aren't like us," I said sarcastically. "Like Louis XIV, they have a divine right to rule us peasants and lesser beings. Comes straight from God. How dare we question things like that."

Pops scrunched up his face like a ferret. "Remember Lord Farquart?" he asked, referring to an ancient animated movie.

We all joined in speaking the holy management mantra, "Some of _you_ may die...but it is a chance _I'm_ willing to take."

I turned back to KD. "Sorry, once I get started... So, you're serious about putting down on Omega?"

"It's the only place we're going to get the right star chart for N35."

Lasagna shrugged. "Well, there it is. We make for Omega. Change out of your uniforms, stow your ID's in the safe and get out our alias information. We get the charts and get back on board."

"We've got a liaison contact on Omega," KD continued. "She's aware of our impending arrival. Office of Naval Intelligence put us in touch with her so we're going over SPACOM J-2's head. Our backstopping is, of all things, that we're with Cerberus. Seems that they have some clout there at the moment."

"The terrorists?" Pops asked, his face twisted in disgust. "We have to be _them_?"

I thought about my meeting with their operators in which they gave me a job offer. Things had changed in the last six months when revelations came to light of their having murdered Admiral Kahoku, experimented on civilians, and having had a platoon of Alliance marines wiped out by a thresher maw. Fuck, I didn't want any part of that. Well, I could wear their colors for the mission though. KD went to the secure locker and we all put our ID's and Alliance property inside and she pulled out aliases and Cerberus uniforms. She handed me some damn black and white catsuit and I wrinkled my face. At least the boots were chic. We all read our backstories and committed them to memory just as we dropped out of FTL near Omega. This was going to be interesting.

**Mission Day 03 - Omega - 1912 Hours**

Our bird now sported a downward turned "C" in black and gold along with a registry and manifest that fit Cerberus to a T. They weren't the only ones to be able to do deceptive shit. KD had briefed us that, while nobody loved Cerberus here, they had an understanding with Aria and the other gangs so no one would fuck with them...in theory at least. Intelligence was a strange thing, it was always changing and no one really had a handle on it. But, I trusted KD a lot more than I trusted J-2. I could just imagine the screaming coming from them when they read our reports. Our vouchers alone on this op would bring the IG's down from Mount Olympus with lightning bolts. Those REMFs were just salivating at the chance to do in a field person.

Blessedly, our Cerberus ID's and fake stories got us past the docking port without any difficulty. Pops and JJ stayed back to protect the ship while we got the charts. As we entered the dark courtyard I hiked up my catsuit. "Damn thing keeps riding up my ass," I told KD.

KD was on her omni-tool, talking to someone. "Our contact says that she's going to meet us in Afterlife."

Frenchie rolled her eyes. "Shit, Afterlife? I don't like this. That place is under Aria T'Loak's thumb. If we get blown there, there's no coming back."

Lasagna grunted. "Then we don't get blown. Let's go. Time's a wasting." If there was one thing, when Lasagna said jump, we asked, _how high_?

The bulky elcor bouncer at the door blew smoke from a cigar at us. "Intrigued: What is Cerberus doing here?"

"Just stopping over for supplies and a good time," Lasagna told him. "Enjoying Aria's protection and friendship."

The elcor checked our data pads and nodded. "Encouraging warning: Have fun, but don't cause any trouble. You can fight back, but don't start anything."

We went down the long hall under holographic flames, giving us some idea of what awaited us if we fucked this up. Before we even entered the infamous club, throbbing techno music assaulted our ears at a near deafening volume. I used to be a bit of a club rat in my student days, but since I'd been married, not so much. The bar up front was hopping and the dance floor was packed with gyrating bodies from nearly every race in the galaxy. I noticed that the band was called the Dissenters with a male human lead musician and a female quarian. We watched the lead, covered in sweat from exertion, whirling a flannel shirt over his head. I could tell that he loved his craft and they were pretty darned good.

We continued further into the infamous bar, the savage beat of the music pounding in our ears. "So, what's the plan, KD?" I asked as exotic dancers performed on stages above us.

"Just look natural for now. The contact is, one Vanessa Valentine, in the employ of Aria."

"She works for Aria? That doesn't sound good."

"She's former Alliance, biotic trained. She has a love/hate relationship with the Alliance but, in spite of her current affiliation, she's very sympathetic to our cause. So long as we don't cross Aria or try to bring Valentine in, we're okay."

"Well, nobody should fuck with Aria and my hat's off to Valentine for escaping, so we're okay."

We told Lasagna and Frenchie to hit the dance floor, but to stay close. Out of instinct, I reached down and touched my Hornet submachinegun in a thigh rig. The catsuit didn't offer any concealment so I let it be known that I was armed. KD had her M-11 Suppressor hidden under a jacket. Everyone in Afterlife was armed so we didn't stand out. I could just imagine someone dumb enough to try and rob the joint. We sauntered up to the bar for a drink to wait on Valentine to call and I immediately regretted that we had. There was a very familiar face mixing drinks, a young Asian woman, wearing a red jacket bearing the symbol of a lotus flower. She was different, but I recognized the graceful lines of her face immediately. I tugged KD's sleeve to turn her around, but Kani had already seen me. In all of this huge galaxy, who should I run into...

"Alice?" Kani said. "Major, right?"

Well, I couldn't deny who I was now. "Kani...hi, I barely recognized you with your hair long. What are you doing here?"

She glanced back and forth for a moment and a darkness passed over her features. She bit her lower lip before speaking. "Uhh, call me Lotus, if you would," she said and then leaned in, wanting me to do the same. "As far as Omega is concerned, Kani Blancarte doesn't exist here. Long story, but I'm the flair bartender of Afterlife now. I just got here from Bekenstein. I should ask, what are _you_ doing here?" she asked, appearing to want to change the topic.

It seemed like we both had something to hide and I had to think quickly. The Alliance was loved even less than Cerberus on Omega. I pointed to the C on my chest. "I got out. Joined these guys. Pays better, less BS."

There was something in her eye that I couldn't quite read. It was either skepticism or curiosity. "Well, you're still a long way from home, so I'm sure you two could use a drink."

"Totally. Hit me up with that green thing again. Keep it light on the alcohol though if you don't mind."

"I'll take one too," KD added.

"Coming right up." I had to say that Kani...err Lotus was a master with the bottles and glasses, putting on a show of spinning stems and pouring liquids. She definitely had a passion and flair for this job. In under a minute, she slid us the drinks in frosty tumblers.

I was starting to get a little nervous. I was a pilot, not a spook. I took a sip of my drink, letting the smooth flavor slink down my throat, and whispered to KD, "Okay, what do you think? Do we call this off?"

"No, we're okay. The backstopping is solid so if anyone but the Illusive Man checks, we're actually Cerberus." At that moment, she got a call. They spoke for only a few seconds. "Alright, we're on. Valentines' got a booth up ahead."

This sounded way too easy.

We sauntered up to the booth behind the bar where a young woman sat, nursing a drink. She was definitely Asian, with brown eyes and a high forehead, framed with straight black hair. She was dressed in form-fitting black with the symbol of a golden peacock on her lace shirt. The woman switched the drink to her left hand and took two sips, the parole that the meeting was safe. I took an innocent looking glance around just to be sure and then we slid into the booth. "Vanessa Valentine?" KD began.

She gave us a cautious nod and glanced up at Aria's infamous balcony. "Look, I don't normally give a shit if the Alliance is frothing at the bit for help, but I'm making an exception here. Better make this quick, I didn't expect you to bring so many. Bigger crowds draw more sensitive eyes."

KD pulled out a data card full of credits and placed it under a napkin on the table. "I believe you know what the arrangement is?"

"Keep the card. Sorry to say I'm not your woman of the hour, or we'd all be walking away happy, but I know someone who has what you want." She cracked a grin, seeming to enjoy the moment.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Okay, where do we go?"

"The guy's name is Tiberius Gaiterus - weird, huh? Owns a store front on the Citadel but is currently on Horizon doing business. Can't miss him; really posh guy, handlebar moustache, odd beard, well-dressed usually. Best you get there fast, he'll be there a few more days." Vanessa said and then returned to her drink to indicate that the meeting was over.

We turned to go and I added, "Pleasure doing business with you," without looking back. KD retrieved the card and we slid out of the booth.

Just over the throbbing music I could hear Vanessa say, "Oh, and tell the sorry bastard I recommended him. Maybe that'll inspire him to give me a better discount on future deals. The last time we met, guy tried to shoot me. Heh."

Oh, this was going to be good. I wanted to know, but I didn't want to ask. We walked by the dance floor and waved Lasagna and Frenchie to us.

"We're going to Horizon," I said.

Lasagna shook his head with a sigh. "Great. One more stop. Brief us when we get back on board."

We passed the bar and I noticed Kani talking to another bartender, pointing at us. I made eye contact with her and gave her a head nod with a smile as we headed back to the ship. Nothing was ever easy.

**Mission Day 04 - Horizon - 0810 Hours**

Fortunately, we were still ahead of schedule as we had just lost a day. The offensive wasn't to kick off for another 24 hours. But, it seemed like the whole shebang might hang on whether or not we could get those star charts. I wondered how many people at SPACOM we'd get promoted if we could pull it off. I had a saying that was once attributed to Brigadier General John Buford at the Battle of Gettysburg: Men in Washington wearing tall hats will thump their chests and say how glorious it was. I smirked to myself as we dropped out of FTL in the Iera System of the Shadow Sea and set course for the planet.

"KD, what do we have?" I asked, yelling aft.

"Horizon is nominally an Alliance world...excellent soil and atmosphere, typically agrarian, but there are a lot of fringe dwellers on the planet. These people don't accept Parliament or the Alliance as their government."

"Oh, this should be fun. How much you wanna bet that Tiberius is out _there_, somewhere?"

Pops raised his hand. "One credit!"

"How are you going to afford that? I sign your time card and see your pay stubs, remember."

Just then, we caught radio chatter coming in from Discovery Control. "Unknown rider, uknown rider, vectoring two-seven-zero on the ARTO 5 Arrival, Juliet November Tango Six. Please respond."

That had to be us. "Pops, confirmation?"

His defensive systems scope was blank. "It's us."

I keyed the mic. "Discovery, this is Raja 21 on the ARTO 5, descending through fifty thousand meters, I authenticate Kilo Two Two."

"Raja 21, squawk company code and ident."

I set the transponder to our discreet Alliance code. "Company code with a flash."

"Raja 21, lidar contact, cleared into Discovery airspace, landing at Alliance docking bay 21 is authorized. Sorry for the drama. You were not on any flight plan, Raja."

"This came up unexpectedly."

Lasagna took the uneventful landing and we made our way to base ops here we ran Tiberius' name against visitors. He was strictly above board so there was no reason for him to hide. We located him pretty quickly in the Customs registry and KD was able to find him in the intelligence database.

"Gaiterus is salesman, the owner of Gaither Blade and Bling on the Citadel. He's had some...interesting sales of weapons mods, but nothing that would rise to the attention of C-Sec. He has some affiliation with an elcor gang, The Big Dekuuna Kahunas."

"Wow, say that ten times fast. He sounds like the kind of man that we need for this."

"He's also a major distributor for Fornax, Genitelcor, Krogasm, Flotitties-"

"I get the idea."

Lasagna had already procured a shuttle and we changed into civilian clothes. I grabbed the catsuit, but pulled off the Cerberus patch. We hopped into the big air car and sped off to the north side of Discovery City, where Gaiterus' kiosk was supposed to be. The shuttle put down and KD and I got out.

"You sure about this, Raven?" Lasagna asked. "This guy's armed and possibly dangerous."

"I get the feeling that what happened between him and VV is personal. So, I don't think he'll cause us any trouble. Besides, I'm a better shot than you, Lasagna."

"Hah! Now just learn to fly. Alright, off you go. We'll take up a vantage point."

KD and I crossed two streets and then walked into a clothing store for a moment to check to see if we had been followed. The clothing racks made it easy to look back outside and still appear to be unobservant. We did this once more and then, satisfied that we were not covered, we approached Mister Gaiterus' kiosk.

The first thing I noticed was an elcor bouncer that stood beside a young man. The human fit VV's description to a T - well dressed in silk and fine cotton, crazy looking facial hair. He was a lot younger than I imagined. I was expecting some grizzled mercenary with scars and tattoos. I did admire his wares though: blades, jewelry, and weapon mods. KD cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Mister Gaiterus?"

I did a quick scan of the area as the human with the handlebar moustache motioned for us to sit at a common table. He looked over the Hornet in my holster and looked right at KD's M-11 under her jacket. He obviously knew his trade. "Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can I cut ya? You know who I am already it would seem. What can I do for you ladies?" he asked, seemingly unconcerned.

"I'm Katie Galland and this is my associate, Alice Gordon. Vanessa Valentine recommended you and we have a business proposition."

"Vanessa, eh?" he said and then threw his head back to let out a belly laugh. "What sort of proposition?" he asked with a hint of flirtation.

KD and I traded a look. What passed between Tiberius and Vanessa must have been interesting indeed. "We need star charts," I said, getting to the point. "And I wouldn't mind seeing your wares. I understand that you have weapon mods too?"

"Where _ever _did you hear such a thing?"

I winked. "Around."

Tiberius thought for a moment. "So, you're somehow associated with Alliance Intelligence, huh? I was approached at Commander Shepard's funeral. I had opened a beneficiary wares stall there and had a...run in with Khalisi al Jilani. Apparently I was live because I was getting calls for weeks after, several from Alliance types; even had two government contractors walk in. Had a feeling they were from The Company.**"**

"Not us. But, you're right, we're part of the J-2, straight up military. We heard you might be able to help us."

He sat at the table and leaned forward, hands folded. A change came over his face and feeling of confidence came forth. "I most certainly can. And I would be most interested in a longer-term relationship as I may need to call upon your help in the future," he said, twisting his handlebar moustache. "Forward me what you need and we'll discuss payment."

KD tapped her omni-tool and sent him the names of the star charts that we wanted. Tiberius took a look and furrowed his brows. "I thought I was cynical...but the Alliance _seriously_ can't get these?" he asked, almost incredulous.

"Tiberius," I said with a snort, "you'd be surprised at the things we can't get. If this were really like the books, vids, and games..."

He nodded. "Ah, I have what you need. I am very well-travelled at this point. Payment, when we are finished, can go to this account."

I leaned over to take a look at his wares as the payment was transferring. "Say, Tiberius, I love your blades...hit me up with that Fairbain dagger too...and that pocketknife. Damascus steel?"

"I see you have good taste. I'll add it to the bill- are you a collector? User? Both?"

"Both, actually. I fence and practice Japanese swordsmanship."

"Excellent. We should practice some time."

"I'd like that. Well, the Financial Manager already hates me so, let's get down to brass tacks. Disruptor rounds, not the old ones, the galactic community is going to thermal clips now. We need the new stuff. Oh, and an EMP mod."

He spread his hands and chuckled. "Well then, you sure do ask a lot of me," he said and then turned his palms out to keep additional comment at bay. "Fortunately I can deliver a lot." Tiberius went around the table and began opening a safe. "Say I have what you seek. I need to know I can rely on your discretion and future assistance. I'm sure you've been briefed on me, so you can understand the importance of a certain twelve points to me."

I gave him a genuine smile. All good relationships were born of some negotiation. "Well, provided it's not illegal, immoral, or fattening, we have an understanding."

The elcor brought out some trays with ammunition blocks and weapons mods. I was in heaven and began pointing to a few for the shopping cart. If the general was already going to chew my ass out for fighting the geth, what did I have to lose?

Just when I thought our business was concluding I saw Tiberius' expression change. He narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard. "You say VV recommended me...did she say anything about guns being drawn?"

I nodded. "Well, she _did_ mention that you tried to shoot her," I said, trying to keep a lighthearted tone.

He let loose another laugh. "Not that I think you care, or that it matters, but that woman ran into me, threatened me, carrying an M11 just like you are," he said and then pointed offhandedly to the concealed pistol in Katie's jacket. "Long story short, I had my Paladin on her in the middle of the Presidium and she had the nerve to false draw on me." He snorted in disgust and shook his head.

I cocked my head and pursed my lips in understanding. So, there is was. At least I had both sides of the story now.

Tiberius returned to his pleasant demeanor. "Well, in any case, its been a pleasure doing business," he said and offered his hand to each of us, giving us a curt German business bow over each shake.

As we headed back to the ship, some little voice inside of me told me that we were getting into complex, but profitable web of relationships here. We would either end up dead or pukes at J-2 would get promoted. Maybe both.

**Mission Day 04 - Blackbird 31 - Sector N35 - 2256 Hours**

Alone and unafraid...well, actually very afraid...we floated quietly among debris and rocks, intercepting and cataloguing geth signals. The star charts were worth the credits as we were able to avoid a collision in a previously uncharted debris field and use it to our advantage, blending in with the wreckage. We found that the crazy thing about this mission was that the geth didn't communicate like everyone else, which made it tough to figure out what they were doing and saying. Now, the turians would encrypt everything, but they were predictable. The batarians were either too bold or too crazy to care so they were often an open book. But what we had here was strange. It was like they were all one being, but still separate. I couldn't make heads or tails of it, but it was good intell.

Having completed that phase of the operation, we broke off to rendezvous with the team to begin the assault on N35. Once we were out of system, KD forwarded the data to SPACOM J-2. "I'm sending a copy to ONI too. Hopefully, they can get us an answer on the geth a lot quicker."

We flew our way back to new coordinates that we received and an Alliance frigate awaited us. We embarked our team and then headed back to N35 to await orders. The waiting was always the hard part as we could be here for hours, maybe days. One thing about me was that I was downright hyperactive, almost ADD. I could not sit still for long.

JJ brought up the new chart on the display and scanned through a 3-dimensional view of it. "Hey, I got something of interest here. There's an asteroid at this location...a big one. It basically creates a gap in the geth base's field of fire as well as a lidar dead spot. Geth forces would have to go around to get us and we'd see them coming."

Lasagna turned and gave a big smile through his dark beard. "Set course. We'll float on the back side and go dark."

We had to time some of the geth patrols, but we were able to slip in and "anchor" ourselves next to the asteroid. With any luck, the fleet would arrive soon. Let's see how the geth like surprise attacks when they're on the receiving end. This time, we were in luck. We sat quietly, reading reports and news, for about an hour when we received proximity alerts. Pops brought up the defensive display and we saw dozens of Alliance transponder signals. He immediately linked our passive sensor picture to the command ship. If there was one thing that the Alliance excelled at, it was command and control. We could put many separate units on target quickly in dynamic situations.

Our radio crackled. "This is Dark Wing. Fight's on, fight's on. Lock and sort," the controller on the command ship said.

I could just make out flashes of light in the darkness of space as Alliance ships opened fire. Explosions blossomed soon after as geth ships winked out of existence. The defensive panel lit up a moment later as geth lidar came alive. Pops had done a great job of capturing these signals, but now it was Frenchie's turn to make use of it. She was already all over the offensive systems panel, sending out a burst of radio frequency energy along a broad band, blanketing the geth's targeting systems with noise and junk data.

Our display showed Alliance fighters slashing into several of the geth formations while frigates moved to the flanks to harass isolated geth. Geth ships fired back wildly, seemingly without coordination. The opening moves seemed to favor us, but we knew no plan survived contact with the enemy. The geth quickly adapted and burned through our jamming with brute force. The three stations opened up and thermal bolts hammered into one of the frigates, shearing off one of its engine nacelles.

"Switch to range gate," I told Frenchie and she had our system mimic the geth lidar signals and send them back faster than they had been coming out. Geth shots soon began missing ahead of their targets.

"Bite me!" Frenchie yelled at her console, giving the geth symbols middle fingers from both hands.

"It ain't over till it's over," Lasagna said, but he was obviously pleased. For once, we seemed to be ahead of the power curve with the geth. As Alliance cruisers began to make their way into the battle, we thought this thing might be done.

A loud squeal on the defensive panel got our attention and a spike appeared on the monitor. "Spike, ten o'clock, high PRF!" Pops called. A geth ship had locked onto us.

"Shit!" Lasagna said as he kicked on the power and throttled up the engines. We needed speed and we needed it fast.

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

The defensive panel warned us that there was a missile inbound. Pops ran his hands over the interface. "Chaff, chaff, chaff," he said as he dropped bundles of foil from our fuselage to confuse enemy targeting.

Lasagna banked us hard to port and we could hear the engines screaming in protest. "I'm putting us in the notch," he said, flying us to one side of the missile.

I could just see a flash of light as the missile shot past our tail. "Sonofabitch!" he called out. It had been a while since I was that close to death. Lasagna rolled us over and pulled the nose down hard, heading for the back side of the asteroid. "This is Blackbird 31," I said over the radio, "we need immediate assistance. Under attack from multiple geth platforms. We are totally defensive."

"Blackbird 31, this is Skytrain 25 flight, inbound. Two minutes."

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

"Another missile, inbound!" Pops called. "Chaff, chaff, chaff."

Lasagna reversed course on a dime and pulled the nose up. The missile flashed past our tail and detonated in a shower of shrapnel and our shields glowed. "Shit, that was close," he said with a grunt.

A red light came on for the airlock control. "Raven, this is Irish," our strike team lead said from the cabin, "Get us close to that damn ship and we'll take it."

Lasagna had already heard him and he yanked our bird around. We darted right across the nose of a geth corvette, twirling and rolling to avoid laser fire. The airlock light went green and the team shot into space to land on the hull of the enemy ship. In an instant I could see the team planting charges, but geth troops were exiting the ship to do battle. Then, I realized that the geth could play the same game too. A squad of enemy soldiers launched just ahead of us. I could hear them latching onto our ship a moment later.

"Prepare to repel!" I shouted back as I drew my Hornet.

In another second, part of the fuselage blew in, flinging shrapnel and blast into the cabin. Our shields immediately covered the hole, but a geth trooper dropped down, weapon searching for targets. I had never seen one this close...or alive. Before anyone else could react, the geth turned its sub gun on JJ and unloaded. His shields took a few rounds, but a dozen tore through his chest, throwing a spray of blood across the navigational panel.

My mouth fell open for a moment as I brought the Hornet's optics up to my eye. I pressed the trigger and stream of disruptor rounds lit up the geth's shields, which blinked out. A second burst slashed into its chest and head, frying circuits and servos. "Keep flying!" I told Lasagna as I moved behind JJ's panel for cover.

Frenchie and KD had unbuckled and rolled out of their chairs, but Pops stayed at his post, defeating another missile. I could see another geth dropping down into the cabin. It was one of the golden ones - a fucking pyro. It wheeled aft and swung the nozzle of its flamethrower at Pops. I unloaded a burst, which fried it's shields, but it wasn't enough. It staggered for a moment from the disruptor rounds, but quickly recovered. I was gripped with terror at the thought of the flames, but I had to do something. Against all good reason, I leapt on its back and pulled the Fairbain dagger that I got from Tiberius and plunged it into the geth's face. Some kind of energy surged from the dagger and the pyro seized up, shaking and jiggling. With my other hand, I jammed the muzzle of the Hornet into the back of its head and burned out the thermal clip with a stream of fire.

"Fuck you!" Pops cried as he energized the fuselage, burning the other geth off of us.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I searched around for any other threats. The radio crackled again. "Blackbird, this is Irish. We are in control of the geth ship. Stand down any attack. We are in control."

My hand was shaking, but I put my fingers on JJ's neck to check for a pulse. I looked back to Pops and Frenchie and shook my head.

"Raven, talk to me," Lasagna said. "What's our status?"

"Hull breach sealed with barriers...but JJ's dead."

Pete slammed his fist on the interface. "Goddammit! Okay, we're out of the fight. I've got several systems down and damage to the lateral thruster array. We're retiring to the rendezvous point."

I took a deep breath and pointed to Frenchie, who looked ashen. "Take care of JJ," I told her as I jumped back into the right seat. "Darkwing, this is Blackbird, we're egressing from the fight with significant battle damage and one KIA. Strike team in possession of geth corvette and are requesting escort."

A different voice came back over the radio. "Blackbird, this is Admiral Hackett. I'm sorry to hear that, but good job. Get yourselves safe. This one's a win in our book. Hackett out."

As we retired from the battle, I could see the three geth stations coming apart as Alliance frigates chased down a beaten enemy. Yes, it was a win, but why didn't it feel that way? And, if I ever saw Tiberius again I would have to thank him.

**Mission Day 08 - Arcturus Station - 0744 Hours**

The Blackbird was down for serious repairs and was berthed in one of the station's drydocks. Seeing the gaping hole in the fuselage took my breath away along with the body of a fried geth hunter still stuck on our tail. Far worse though was the sight of Alliance medics taking JJ's body out of ship and onto an ambulance. We were all pretty rattled, but we had to hold it together for a while longer.

The squadron debriefing seemed endless, picking apart our every maneuver and action. Internal and external videos played out the events as I guzzled another mug of coffee to stay awake. None of our crew was paying attention by this point as the red-faced briefer from J-2 droned on. I had my arms around KD and Frenchie while Pops just had his head on his desk.

The lieutenant from J-2 started to say something else when Lasagna stood up, interrupting him. "Okay, thank you, kid. No more questions, right?" he asked, looking at us. I shook my head.

The next two days were a blur as we went through JJ's service. It was like going through Commander Shepard's funeral all over again, only we really knew JJ well. But life went on and it went on quickly. Within a few days we got a replacement and the Blackbird was repaired. I was out on the range when I got the call for a briefing back in Ops.

Another briefing... Just what I needed. I slapped in fresh thermal mag into the well of my assault rifle and hit the release to chamber a round. "Four ready!" I fell into the rear of the stack as we advanced up to a door for our training exercise, all the while keeping my muzzle up to cover a window. Number 3 peeled away from the stack and held up a battering ram while I prepped a flashbang grenade.

"Breach!" Irish called and the rammer pounded the door open. "Bang!" he added, giving me the cue to do my thing. I tossed the flashbang into the opening and we all turned our heads away.

_POW_

The first two guys were through the door as the breacher gave way to let me pass. "Alliance forces, get down! Get down!"

As I pressed through the door, I could see Irish and Number 2 engaging mech targets. I could see one turning towards me and I pulled the stock of my rifle in tight and unleashed a burst into its chest. It fell back and a second mech came around the corner. I pressed the trigger, but nothing happened. Without a thought, I released the rifle on its sling and my pistol cleared leather in the blink of an eye. _Poppop pop_. Two to the body, one to the head. The mech pitched over and fell silent. I blew out a sigh of relief. I cleared the malfunction on my rifle and headed outside with the team.

"Coming out!" we called.

"Hey, Irish, thanks for the training again. I gotta head back to ops for another briefing."

"Always a pleasure, Raven," he said, getting down into his ninja stance.

I didn't much feel like changing so I ran into ops with my hardsuit still on and my assault rifle dangling on its sling. KD was there with some lieutenant commander. I spied his SPACOM J-2 patch on his uniform and gave KD a knowing smirk. The rest of the crew was already seated so KD and I went to the back of the room and took a chair.

The J-2 puke took the podium, his slicked back hair gleaming in the lights. "Hi everyone, I'm Lieutenant Commander Bob Boule from J-2," he announced with a fake smile. "I want to thank you for the data that you sent down, but we really can't use it. Geth scanner parameters and two potential assets...ummm, J-2 is looking more for planetary soil data."

I gave KD an incredulous look, but she just returned a faint smile. I mouthed, "What the fuck?"

She patted my hand. ""Just wait," she mouthed.

Predictably, Lasagna came out of his chair. "Planetary soil data? Are you serious? Just when we have colonies disappearing? What are you even doing here then? Just show yourself out of my briefing room. Go on...shooo." Lasagna outranked the man so there was no argument and the J-2 puke left quietly.

I looked over to KD. "Okay, out with it. What's going on?"

"I knew that was going to happen so I called in a favor at Office of Naval Intell." The back door opened and two guys in casual attire came in. "Let me introduce Case Officers Oded al-Farouk and Chris Graham." The first guy was a bit plump, but had an easygoing smile and the second guy was built with a blond widow's peak.

They walked around and shook hands with the crew. "We understand that you guys encountered a couple of people who might be friendly with us," Oded said.

"One guy in particular was very helpful," I began. "Tiberius Gaiterus, a weapons merchant on the Citadel, owner of Gaither Blade and Bling."

Oded nodded. "He was at the funeral for Commander Shepard...had a run in with Khalisa al-Jilani."

"Yeah, that's him. The other one is a woman I've run into a couple of times now, Kani Blancarte. She was a bartender at the Dark Star Lounge on the Citadel and is now bartending at Afterlife. She's going by the alias of Lotus now although I don't know why."

"What makes you think that she would be a good asset?"

"She gets around. She knows things that we want to know. I can see it in her eyes."

"We do need eyes and ears into the gangs on Omega, especially the Eclipse, Blue Suns, and the Blood Pack. You also mentioned a Vanessa Valentine in your report."

"Yes, but she works directly for Aria T'Loak. The difficulties in handling her as an asset are just too big for now."

Oded nodded. "Okay. We're opening asset files for Gaiterus and Blancarte," he said and tapped his omni-tool. "Gaiterus' file number is T-309712, his codename is...QUE BONE. What the heck is a que bone? Blancarte's file number is T-309713 and her codename is MAI TAI. We'll set up covert funding for operations with them and we'll issue you covert communications. We'll begin a psych profile and an asset validation plan."

"Wow...okay."

"All we ask is that you run all asset contact through us and, we may want to meet them some day."

"Deal."

They turned to go, but Chris looked back. "For what it's worth, if you see Valentine again, tell her it was J-2 that sent an operative against her. Darth Marge was large and in charge of that one. I'll forward the details. It wasn't us."

"I don't think she'll care."

"She probably won't but tell her anyway."

"Will do. Just one more thing. Do you guys know anything about the vanishing colonies?"

Chris shook his head. "This one's a complete mystery. Search and rescue arrives and everyone is gone, people, pets, everyone. Sometimes, there's still hot food on plates and tea kettles are still whistling. It's creepy. Another thing that's creepy...we're getting intell that Commander Shepard has been sighted in the company of Cerberus forces. Confidence is high that this is solid information."

Everyone in the crew gasped and looked around. There was a lot of murmuring. "Commander Shepard?" I asked. "Wow, that's a twist."

**Mission Day 31 - Citadel - 1034 Hours**

For over three weeks Oded and Chris prepared us to meet with potential assets. We went over all known information on Tiberius and Kani. They taught us to use the covert communications and gave us the locations of safehouses that we might need. We learned to move funds through different banks and were given contacts within the volus financial community who might help us. We also had to learn the known maps of Omega, inside and out. I didn't think that anyone could ever learn it all though...maybe only Aria.

By all accounts, Tiberius was a stable businessman with good connections. He had a long term relationship and was well travelled. One interesting tidbit was that he had an in with a notorious elcor gang called the Big Dekuuna Kahunas and he seemed to have a lot of influence on their activities. He was also very handy with blade and gun.

On the Citadel, KD and I sauntered up to the counter in Gaither's Blade and Bling and I picked up a turian dagger, admiring its wicked blade and elegant handle. Like turians, it was not an ostentatious weapon, but cold and efficient.

"Welcome back, Alice...Katie," Tiberius said with a bow. I could see his elcor bodyguard just behind a curtain. We figured that had to be one of the Big Dekuuna Kahunas.

"Tiberius," I replied with a smile. "We have to thank you. The charts and mods you gave us really made a difference."

"I read about the Alliance's success at N35. You're most welcome."

"Remember what you spoke about when last we met? We would like to confirm your interest."

"Absolutely. What can I do to help?"

KD slid him a data card full of credits. "The Alliance likes to reward its friends."

He plugged it into a reader and pursed his lips. "Uh, I'm not complaining but that sounded like a video game line. It is indeed very generous, how do I contact you with any information?"

"We were just getting to that," I said and we handed him an omni-tool. "It's non-attributable, encrypted and point to point only with our tools. Should we need to meet, face to face, we'll arrange the location and you will hold a magazine in your left hand to signal a safe meet. One of us will have an apple and take a bite. You'll then follow behind by 30 seconds to the final meet location. If you are ever under duress you are to try and use the word 'charizard' in a sentence and we'll know we have to stage a rescue."

"Sounds like complication level: Clancy."

"It's for all of our safety."

"Very well, I'm game. Can I use this mag?" he asked, producing a copy of Genitelcor.

I took a look inside. "Oh, Jesus, I didn't need to see that! Uhh, yeah, that's fine."

"Keep that one. I've also got the latest of Fleet and Flotitties," he added, bringing out the Quarian Queen edition #56.

I opened my eyes wide, unfolding the center picture. "I never thought quarians were so...good looking."

He grinned, twisting his handlebar moustache. "So, anyway, what, in particular, are you looking for?"

"The geth are pretty much on the run. We think we'll have them beat in another year. What we need to start thinking about is fringe elements along the Terminus Systems...Blood Pack, Eclipse, and especially the Blue Suns."

"Blue Suns?" His face flushed for a moment and he looked away, his expression turning dark. "I...I may have something for you. Look for a woman named Eva Harper."

"What's her story?"

He avoided eye contact and blew out a long breath. I could tell that the story had a lot of emotion behind it. "She's with Vido Santiago."

KD and I exchanged glances. The story was a lot bigger than I had imagined. "One of the founders?"

"One and the same. If you see her...nevermind. Forget I said anything." Obviously not one to leave awkward silences hang in his business dealings, he perked up, even though it was obviously the practiced facade of a seasoned salesman or politician. "Well, in any event, thank you. I will try to relay information on shipment patterns, market flux, and presences as available."

"Thats all we ask. Thank you again, Tiberius."

"A Scout is Loyal, Helpful, Thrifty. Anytime."

**Mission Day 38 - Omega - 2109 Hours**

The mission profile indicated that Kani was a well trained psychologist, but opted to become a bartender to pay off debts. Her personal life was...interesting to say the least, but I couldn't talk as mine wasn't _normal_ either. Records indicated that she was married, but I had never seen any indication of a spouse...other than Krieger. It was true that she had recently come from Bekenstein, but as to why she would leave that paradise and go to Omega was beyond me. One thing that Oded and Chris told us was that she had been picked up by long range SIGINT, communicating with the Eclipse. Things sounded tense between them though. There were times that she was concerned for her safety.

On Omega, we were back in our fake Cerberduds or Cerberoos as Francine liked to call them. "Cerberus actually lets their people run around in their underwear?" I complained, pulling the catsuit fabric out of my ass again.

The new navigator, Captain Verner Voss, a square jawed blond from Hamburg, took a look at my behind. A big smile caused his cheeks to dimple. "I could help you with that."

"Uhh, no thanks. We do need to find you a call sign though. I was thinking Butt Man." The threat of being given a rotten call sign was enough to shut even the bravest up.

"Oh, not that! Please."

"Okay, behave yourself then. Let's get to Afterlife."

The elcor let us through to the complaints of some whiny human and we headed to the bar. We fanned out like before, some heading to the dance floor, Voss going to take a look at the asari stripper. I saw Lotus, her hair now tinged with ruby and copper streaks, twirling a glass by its stem, lithely maneuvering it between her slender fingers in sync with the music and the pulsing lights. With her other hand, she spun a bottle of liquor around her thumb and bottle, and glass met gently in the middle as she poured a drink. It was better than a magic show.

"Lotus," I said, getting her attention.

She straightened her scarlet bodysuit. "Oh, hi Alice. What brings you back to Afterlife?"

"You do, actually."

"Me?"

KD and I nodded. "We have a business proposition for you. Is there somewhere private we could talk."

Lotus seemed intrigued and suspicious all at the same time, eyeing us up and down with caution. She narrowed one eye and then nodded. "Okay, hang on." She waved over to another bartender to man her station and then pointed us to one of the side rooms. We entered and KD did a quick scan for devices and then turned on an electronic dampening field. Anyone listening in would only hear music and sex noises.

"Thank you for coming," I told her. "As I said, we have a business proposition for you."

Lotus leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, still trying to figure us out. "I'm listening."

"We're Alliance military. I'm still in. We need your help. The Eclipse, Blue Suns, and Blood Pack are a growing concern for Alliance colonies in the Traverse and the Terminus Systems. We need...we need information about them."

Lotus thought for a moment. "I knew there was something going on when you were last here." She furrowed her brows and pursed her ruby lips. "How do you know we won't just turn you in to Aria? What makes you think we can trust each other?"

"We're taking a chance on you. I think we can help each other out."

She merely nodded, her perceptive eyes trying to feel us out. Lotus had changed a lot since I last saw her on the Citadel. The life in her eyes seemed dimmed somehow and there was a current of distrust that ran deep beneath the surface. Whatever happened on Bekenstein must have really hit her hard. The moment was tense, but I was determined to make this work.

KD handed her a data chip. "The Alliance likes to reward its friends. It's access to a numbered account. We'll fill it from time to time for good information. If there is anything else that we can help you with, please..."

Lotus nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm with the Eclipse, but I need to get out. They saved me from a dangerous situation on Bekenstein, but Jaroth is pressing me to join the front lines. There's a war brewing. I don't know if I can survive that. Can you help me?"

She corroborated our intelligence. That was a good sign. "We can do that. We can't give you any guarantees and we can't say it won't be dangerous, but we will do all we can," I said as KD handed her and omni-tool and then explained its use along with the safety protocols. "What we need at the moment is anything you might have on Eclipse movements and intentions. Personality assessments on any leaders would be valuable too."

"I can do personality," Lotus said, a mischievous smile beginning to show. "Jaroth equals asshole."

We all had a little chuckle and the tension evaporated for the moment. "We're going to need you to remain in place for now while we formulate an extraction plan. We have two of the best case officers in the Alliance backing us up. Kani, your codename is MAI TAI."

"One more thing," Lotus added with a deep sigh. "I don't have anything on the Blood Pack, but regarding the Blue Suns...you need to talk to Eva Harper."

That was the second time we had heard that name. "Yeah, we do need to talk to her. Is there a way to get in touch with her?"

It was obvious that she was conflicted about something. There was some history there, and some hurt. I might ask her about that later, but now was not the time. Lotus forced a smile. "I think I can help with that. I'll work through some middle men, but don't tell her I had anything to do with this."

**Mission Day 44 - Omega slums - 0128 Hours**

I had to admit that I was a better pilot than I was a spook. I don't know how I kept getting caught up in weird projects like this. I preferred to be at a standoff distance, messing with the enemy's ability to track and target. Like we had been trained to do, we casually reconned the area, finding potential meeting sites, checking out all entrances and exits. Lasagna met the overly curious with a growl and a sneer, getting them to scurry away. Plus, we always travelled in a group - there was strength in numbers.

Then, there was the lengthy surveillance detection routes that we developed and ran for hours and hours, shopping, eating, working out, and then shopping some more. Anyone who was following us would be bored to tears.

Soon, a coded signal came in on my omni-tool. It was MAI TAI. She had set up a meeting with Eva through a proxy, but Eva was understandably nervous. After all, she was Vido's girlfriend. She'd be taking a huge risk just seeing us and we had to respect that. We ran our best SDR for hours, going dancing and dining. KD wore a vivid green dress and I had on something aqua blue. Finally, we went to a late night coffee shop where things were supposed to kick off. KD and I sat down at the counter and got cake and a cup of decaf. I saw Kani, across the street, carrying a copy of Krogasm in her left hand. I also got a signal from Lasagna that we were clean. All was good...so far.

I opened my copy of Genitelcor to signal the next phase. KD and I winced. We couldn't unsee that. In a few minutes, a woman with a hood came into the diner, her blonde tresses just peeking out along her cheeks. Beneath the hood, she wore an emerald green dress that matched her eyes. She passed by all of us and went to the restroom. A couple of minutes later, KD stood up and followed her. I paid the bill and then went out to hail a cab. One pulled up a second later and I jumped in. "Hey Pete, how we doing?"

Lasagna was behind the wheel. "Stay cool. They just showed up. Look over there," he said as he pulled away slowly.

I saw two mopes with blue armor, looking into the diner. "Fuck, Vido doesn't trust his girlfriend, huh?" I could see them watching the hooded woman, sitting in a booth in the diner. "Shit, let's go." Lasagna pulled around the corner and I opened the door. A blonde woman jumped in and we pulled away, the whole exchange taking only a second. "Nice to meet you, Eva Harper."

She pulled down her hood to reveal a strong and beautiful blonde, who's green eyes told a story of trial and pain, but also of determination. I gave her a reassuring nod. The switcheroo had worked. KD would just have to eat and drink coffee for a bit.

**Mission Day 44 - Afterlife - 2239 Hours**

While RJ's Dissenters band rocked on, I sucked down a drink at the bar that Kani had mixed for me. I gave her a wink and a half grin. I turned to KD. "You did great. I can't believe we pulled that off. You look just enough like Eva to make that work."

"I can't say I wasn't scared shitless. I'm glad Pops and Frenchie had me covered. You know, I kind of dig Eva's codename: BRONZE DAEMON. I think she's going to work out."

"Alright, let's get ready to shove off. I've got one last thing I have to do." I looked around and found VV near the strippers' platform. She was wearing a crimson body suit this time, still with the symbol of the golden peacock. I walked over to her and she gave me a wide smile, something I was not prepared for. It brought out one from me in return.

"Alice...nice to see you've escaped Wonderland," she said with a wink. "How are things?"

I took a seat at the booth, glancing at an asari on the stage who was gyrating by. "Curiouser and curiouser they get. First off, thanks for the help. Second, I know who sent the assassin after you."

"Really?" she said, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow. I could see a faint biotic glow about her as she clenched her teeth. "Do tell."

"Rave Browning...he was sent by our J-2 section. Orders came from an Admiral Margot Kimmel. She's a piece of shit and the whole section is fucked up. Just thought you'd like to know."

A triumphant, almost dangerous smirk escaped VV's lips. I stood and gave her a nod as I walked back to the bar. Maybe VV would clean out the whole rotten bunch. That would make my day.

**Mission Day 81 - Arcturus Station - 1412 Hours**

Oded and Chris read over the incoming reports and blew out long breaths. "Wow, this is good," Oded commented. "This is really good. QUE BONE's been tracking weapon mod shipments from the Citadel to the Traverse. The Blood Pack has been gobbling up incendiary ammo and omni-blades. The Blue Suns are buying enough mods to start a war. We're kicking QUE BONE up a notch and having him open store fronts on various Alliance colonies to up the ante on our collection efforts."

Chris pointed to a display which showed the influx of weapons into Omega. "Here's where it gets really good. MAI TAI is telling us that Eclipse is losing millions of credits on Omega to a new mercenary gang. They're actually scared. She told us that someone killed Jaroth's siblings and he's gunning for revenge. She gave us a whole psych workup on Jaroth and the guy is coming unglued. And, they've been buying up LOKI and YMIR mechs like mad. Now, put that together with what we're hearing from BRONZE DAEMON... She's telling us that the new gang is run by a turian, a guy named Archangel. Vido Santiago has a hard on to kill this guy, but he's a pro and Vido even put his best man, Tarak on it. Nobody can lay a finger on Archangel though. Both Eclipse and Blue Suns are chewing through medigel, which means that they're taking heavy casualties."

Oded changed the image on the screen. "This has allowed us to intercept some of the Eclipse shipments. They think it's Archangel. It's a win win - Archangel faces less opposition, we take dangerous mods off the market, and our colonies have had a decrease in attacks of around ten percent."

"I think that sounds great," I said. "Now, where are we on any extraction plan for MAI TAI?"

"We're pretty close. We have two things that we have to work around still, Eclipse security and, of course, Aria. Now, based on the intell that we're seeing, we think that each of these three gangs is planning a major offensive soon. Also, I've been going over MAI TAI's personality assessments and I think the gangs are actually talking to each other. That's unheard of. If we could any more intell on _why_, that would be a plus."

"Okay, I told her to hit us up if things were getting too dangerous. I'd like to be able to say that we could pull her out quickly."

Oded nodded with a reassuring grin. "We can do that. If push comes to shove, we extract her. We have enough assets in place to make our chances of success high. Don't worry, with the personality assessments that MAI TAI is providing on the Eclipse, she's worth the effort."

"That's good to hear. Any more on the missing colonies?"

"Glad you asked. Well, not glad _per se_," Oded said with a snort. "We got a communication from Commander Shepard...yeah, crazy right? Freedom's Progress went dark and she told us it was the Collectors."

"The Collectors? The weird, buggy folks?"

"Yeah. And get this, she's aboard a Cerberus copy of the _Normandy_, only bigger."

I shook my head in wonder. "How the heck was Cerberus able to copy the _Normandy_?"

"You remember that guy you folks took down a couple years ago? Yeah, that one. He was one of many supplying Cerberus with technical data. Cerberus has our counterintelligence section tied in knots."

"Well shit," I said with my own snort, "most of them fall under J-2."

That easygoing smile spread across Oded's lips. "Well, ONI has its own CI initiative now. We'll have inroads into Cerberus this time and J-2 can't fuck with it."

"Good luck. Cerberus has a lot of sympathizers in the Alliance. I'm going to come out and say that I like the fact that they get things done. Just take out the human experimentation and the assassination of admirals."

"Well, if you run across any sympathizers, let us know. Run with it for a bit, but just don't go off of the reservation."

"I'm a reservation kind of gal."

We broke from the briefing and I headed down for a workout. It was something that I needed to keep going during stressful times. I ran a hard six miler, then to be caught by some of the crew who pressed me into joining them for Insanity: The Asylum workout. Yes, it was insane. I wiped down after, but it was not over yet. Evan would be showing up soon to cross blades with me...both figuratively and literally.

He came in a minute later and avoided eye contact. Oh boy, he was in one of his depressed phases, I could tell. This was old hat by now for me, but it was one of the reasons I was ready to walk early on. Soon, the depression would turn to anger and he would lash out for no reason. I just had to make sure I was gone by then.

I changed into gi and hakama and then placed the tare or hip armor over my waist. Then came the do or breastplate, placed over my chest and tied with blue strings behind me. The men or helmet came next, tied tightly with an intricate bow knot. One thing that the Japanese loved, it was their knots. Finally, I put on my kote or gauntlets and grabbed my shinai.

From a distance we bowed and then walked towards each other, brought our weapons to the front and then squatted in _sonkyo_. "Hajime!" he yelled.

I stood, immediately taking a defensive _kamae_ or guard. I was never much of an attacker, so many years of Aikido behind me. I unfocused my eyes, letting his image blur and I let the energy in the bamboo blade infuse my arms. From this point on, my body was not my own, it was a weapon in and of itself. _Enzan no Metsuke_ and _Mushin_ they called it, gazing at the far mountain and no mind.

Tip to tip, we jockeyed for position, maneuvering left and right, pressuring and probing for openings. I pressed his blade to my left in _osae, _letting my kote become exposed and he took the bait. His bamboo blade flashed and I pulled my hand up and back, causing him to miss. My weapon found his head. "Men!" I called as I passed through.

We immediately set up again and traded a few probing cuts. I tried a _tsuki_, launching my tip at his throat, but he angled it away and made a cut of his own. I dropped the tip and pulled my blade back to deflect it from my head and drove a counterattack back at him. We crashed together in _taiatari_, guard to guard, maneuvering for position. Sometimes, I thought that this summarized our marriage, husband and wife, locked in a clash of arms, fighting over every small detail and issue. I caught myself thinking and forced my conscious mind back into nothingness.

He stepped back and tried to drive a flank cut and I dropped my hands down to knock the shinai away with _uchiotoshi_. Evan tried to follow up with another head cut, but I picked it up with a brushing parry and swatted him on the side of his breastplate. "Do!"

If there was one thing, Evan did not like me being better than him...in anything. He always needed to be the one to tell me what to do and how to do it. I made a rare attack and we traded cuts and parries, one after the next with me gaining an inch of advantage with every turn of the phrase. I could feel him leaning backwards, losing ground, trying to retreat. I shifted right to an open line and rammed the point into his throat. "Tsuki!"

That was the match. "Shobu ari!"

We squatted down and returned our shinai to a carry position. I could tell he wasn't happy. But that was life, that was _bushido_. We went to shower, but he wasn't interested. I kissed him on the cheek. "Okay, I've got to get back to work. I'll ummm, see you later?"

"Yeah."

We would need a vacation and we would need it soon. I headed back to work, but I saw a familiar face. I tried to place him as he approached me. Crap, that was the operator from Cerberus, only without the beard this time. I eyed him sideways. "Ummm, hey."

He could see that I was suspicious and held out the palms of his hands. "I'm totally legit now," he said with a broad grin. "I saw you in the gym. You fight as well as I've heard. I wanted to see if you were still interested in the phantom program?"

"Isn't that still Cerberus?"

"No, it's a special interest project now. Alliance all the way. They still want you in." He handed me a sheathed blade, elegant, but definitely of modern forging. "It's yours. Monomolecular...cuts armor and barriers like butter. We'll set you up with training."

I remembered what Oded told me. Run with it. "Okay, just let me know. And, you have me at a disadvantage. Your name?"

"Uesugi...Toshiro Uesugi."

**Mission Day 93 - Blackbird, On Station at Freedom's Progress - 1412 Hours**

We were a day late and a credit short getting to the colony after it had been hit. ONI shared the video with us of the Collector attack and it was downright creepy. Apparently, the quarians had been here and captured the video, which came through Commander Shepard. Even though she was with Cerberus, I had a feeling that she was still true blue. Pops wasn't so convinced though. He hated anything to do with the Cerbs.

I told Oded about my encounter on Arcturus and he asked me to run with it. There were suspicions that this thing still had Cerberus' grubby hands on it. I got the rundown on some of the known specs on that organization all the way up to what little was known about the Illusive Man.

As we completed another orbit, my omni-tool went off, flashing that there was a coded message incoming. It was marked 'precedence immediate.'

As I activated the secure link, the sound of an explosion came over loud and clear. "This is MAI TAI, we need help and we need it now. There's a plague on Omega and rioting in the streets. The gangs are pressing for a war against Archangel and Jaroth is going nuts. I'm in deep shit. I've got a few people with me and I'm trying to get ahold of BRONZE DAEMON."

Oded and Chris copied the transmission and ran up to the cockpit. I keyed the mic. "MAI TAI, we are enroute. I'll try to get through to DAEMON. Hold tight, our ETA is one hour through the relay." I turned to Verner, now called Wiener. "Set course to Omega."

We jumped to FTL and raced for the relay. We weren't doing any good at Freedom's Progress anyway. I changed frequencies to contact DAEMON and all I got was static. Shit, I hoped it was just interference.

We arrived at Omega in 58 minutes, taking a berth on the opposite side of the SR-2. It was weird seeing the _Normandy_ in Cerberus colors. We didn't have time to contemplate that further as we donned civilian gear and armor and headed out. Oded and Chris had suited up too along with members of our strike team. Irish and the newest member, Lt. Cdr William "Wild Bill" Hagebak led us off of the ship.

"MAI TAI, this is Raven, we're on Omega. What's your status?"

The sound of automatic gunfire came over the omni-tool. "Shit Raven, we're trapped in the Kima District, pinned down between Archangel, vorcha and the everyone else. DAEMON's with me. Shit!" she said and the sound of more gunfire came over the comm. "Over there! Get that vorcha! We've got to move!" The strain in her voice told me that we needed to move fast.

"We're on our way," I said as KD brought up a map of the Kima District. A blue dot represented where MAI TAI and DAEMON were falling back against a vorcha onslaught.

As all the gangs seemed to be focused on Archangel, no one was paying attention to us and we figured that Aria didn't care so long as the gangs weakened each other, leaving her with more power. We made the Kima District in five minutes and were hauling ass to catch up with our assets.

"Raven, this is MAI TAI, we broke through a vorcha squad. I tried to make it back to Eclipse territory, but Jaroth has gone nuts! He's having the troopers shoot at anything he hates Archangel so much. We're going to try to make it to the Gozu District."

"Can you hang tight?"

"Negative, we've got - Eva! There! Take him out!" More gunfire and then an explosion. "Fuck, that was close. We're moving again. Go, go!" My heart was racing now. We had to save them. These people hung their asses out for the Alliance and there was no way I was going to let them down.

DAEMON's voice came over the line next. "Goddamit, Kani, move your ass! Shit, behind us, behind us! Don't make me have to save your sorry skin."

We picked up the pace, Irish and Wild Bill dropping several vorcha and krogan on the move. I was Number Three, popping off occasional bursts with my Hornet. KD directed us down a side route that we could take to Gozu. At a locked door, Wild Bill slapped up a breaching charge and we all pulled back.

"Fire in the hole," Irish called and tapped his omni-tool, blowing the door in.

"They're just through here!" KD yelled.

"MAI TAI, we're coming in from the north. Hold your fire that way," I said into my tool. We rushed through the opening into a running gun battle in the Gozu District shops. MAI TAI was holding back some of the Blood Pack with suppressing fire as DAEMON tossed a grenade at them. As the sphere detonated, they sprinted to a new position and lay down fire again. A krogan burst into flames as napalm from the grenade washed over him and he ran into a pack of vorcha, setting them to panic. MAI TAI let out controlled bursts from a Phalanx, ripping the screaming vorcha to shreds.

Another Blood Pack squad moved to their flank and began setting up a support weapon. This was a heavy gun that would rip them to pieces. "Coming to you!" I radioed. Irish and Wild Bill set up a base of fire and I led the crew down the right flank. Several of the vorcha fell, but they pressed on with the big gun. Lasagna and I leap frogged forward as our crew peppered them with rounds. I unleashed three bursts into a krogan's back, but he merely jiggled as the rounds barely penetrated his thick hide. He turned and snarled, throwing his shotgun to the ground. I'd heard that when a krogan was wounded and his redundant organs kicked in, he could be consumed by a blood rage. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it...

With a howl, he charged right at us. I barely had time to think, but I dropped my subgun and reached behind me for my blade. I sidestepped and sliced down in a diagonal _kesagiri_ arc and the blade barely met any resistance. Blood sprayed on the ground along with a krogan arm. Fuck, the thing actually worked like it was supposed to. On instinct, I flicked the blade to the right, snapping the blood off with _chiburi_.

Before I could gawk any more, I heard Irish calling, "Let's go! Let's go!" We waved over to MAI TAI and DAEMON, who fell in and we were gone in a flash. As we boarded the Blackbird, DAEMON told us that Commander Shepard had joined with Archangel and that the turian leader was none other than Garrus Vakarian himself.

"Garrus Vakarian? We really landed in a flaming volcano, didn't we?" I mused. "Wherever that guy goes, chaos and death are sure to follow."

DAEMON, in a torn blue and black dress with a Blue Sun insignia on the collar, wiped the soot from her face. "Yeah, Archangel fucked the Blue Suns up good. Tarak finally led an attack himself from his gunship. Almost blew Archangel to hell, but Commander Shepard nuked Tarak's four-eyed ass."

"And Jaroth's dead," MAI TAI added with an almost joyous smile. "Bastard got what was coming to him. His own mechs got reprogrammed...blew his squidgy face right off."

We strapped in and powered up the engines, pulling away from Omega. MAI TAI and DAEMON were back in the lounge, settling in. As I looked aft, I could see Oded bringing them drinks. "Hello, ladies," he said. "I'm Oded al-Farouk, your handler at ONI."

KD and Pops came up to the cockpit, getting my attention. "Hey," KD said, "did you hear that someone fucked up Scatbrain?"

"What? What happened?"

"Fried his brain, some biotic attack. He's semi conscious now...can only mumble about slugs."

I snorted. "Shit, so what's changed? He was always semi conscious," I said, getting a laugh out of Lasagna. "So, who do you think did it? Everybody hated Scatbrain." Somehow, I knew that someone was taking care of business.

**Mission Day 94 - Arcturus Station J-2 HQ - 1109 Hours**

We put down on Arcturus and headed back to the J-2 for debriefing. I knew that they were going to be all over us for this one. When we got the call from MAI TAI, we were supposed to return to J-2 and file a 20 page operational plan that was supposed to be approved by Pointy Haired Boss. This would have taken a week to ten days because PHB would have been in meetings to plan meetings. He and his assistant would have then hid in the basement to have avoided making any decisions. But, he would be right there with the hammer to nail us for circumventing his personal doctrine and actually carrying out the mission. I only hoped that Oded and Chris could put a good word in for us with ONI.

Oded and Chris escorted MAI TAI and DAEMON off to a swanky hotel where they could unwind for a bit before deciding what to do next. If they wanted, they could get new identities, new lives even. If I knew Oded, he would pull out all of the stops to treat them right. They earned it with the value of intelligence that was provided. DAEMON even had the last known location of Vido Santiago, which, I hear may be leaked to Commander Shepard.

As they headed out to a waiting cab, I gave them a call. "Kani, Eva, you guys did good. You saved a lot of lives over the last few months. Take care and maybe I'll see you around."

Kani gave me a wink. "I've got a new drink for you next time, Alice. I'll be headed off to the Citadel after. See you around."

Now, it was time to face the music. Lasagna led the way to J-2 HQ, all of us in tow. I looked back at the crew and ran my hand across my throat. "This one doesn't involve you guys. Take a hike."

KD and the rest shook their heads. "Not a chance," she said. "We're in this together. Besides, where else would we get this kind of excitement?"

"Awww shit, don't say I didn't warn you. Come on."

We marched towards the J-2 reception area, known as the Puzzle Palace. It was indeed a palace with glass walls, deep plush carpet, and dark wood furniture, something far more extravagant than we peasants would warrant. I'm sure word of the successful operation had already reached PHB's ears and he would be screaming by now. I could hear his mangling of the English Language already in my head.

"How many times I gotta told you dat youse do never do no op widout my permissions! We gots ta have meeting to disccusses dat stuff! Dats my system and if youse don't likes it none, youse can getta outta my house!"

RUMINT had it that he attached his lips to the right ass at the right time. As that ass went into orbit, his ass followed...all the way up to a star on his collar. We approached his admin assistant and she gave us a sympathetic look.

"Sorry, he wants to see you."

"Not half as sorry as we are," Lasagna quipped.

I could hear screaming already. _Shit, here it comes. _I saw his door open and he came running out, drooling like an idiot, his general's uniform completely disheveled. "Sharks! Sharks!" he screamed in a high-pitched voice, waving his hands about and hitting the air. "Sharks! They're coming! Run for your lives!"

He ran past us and into a wall, knocking himself out. We all paused for a moment, looking around for a hidden camera. PHB was not known for his humor though. But, we were. We all started laughing, me cackling like a witch. KD gave me this look. "You uhhh, know anything about that?"

I shook my head. "Ummmm, not a thing."

Thank you, VV.

**Mission Day 106 - SPACOM Courtyard - 1000 Hours**

I still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. When Lasagna told me it was in the works, I didn't quite believe it then either. A man in an Alliance general's uniform took the field and walked up to the podium, surrounded by marines and a seated audience. I narrowed my eyes and looked over to KD. "I guess Pointy Haired Boss isn't out of the funny farm yet? And what's with the heavy security?"

"They think that someone is after the J-2 Command Staff. RUMINT says that a dark figure was seen in PHB's office just before he went mad."

"Really? How...interesting."

"They say that Darth Marge is holed up in her command post...won't come out. Only eats pre-packaged food. Won't sit on a toilet either."

"Well, everything that came from her was shit so it's going to get real stinky, real quick. I'd hate to be her force protection."

The general tapped the mic. "It is with great honor that I preside over this ceremony. Tradition runs deep in the service and today, we honor that tradition. Major Alice Liddell, front and center."

I stood and smoothed out my white dress uniform, making sure that my officers sabre was properly sheathed at my side. I marched up smartly to the podium where Commander Pete Mitchell stood with the squadron pennant of the 1056th STS held diagonally across his chest. He gave me a warm smile and I noticed that he now wore eagles on his epaulets.

The general continued, "Captain Pete Mitchell will be accepting the command of the 901st Electronic Warfare Squadron. As such, Major Liddell, you will assume command of this fine organization. Will the officers and crew of the 1056th please rise."

The aircrew, the ground crew, the support staff, and the analysts all stood, looking sharp in their dress whites. I fell in besides Lasagna as we passed in review of the squadron, holding our salutes to them. We returned to the podium and I drew my sabre, offering the general, Pete, and my crew a flashy salute. After sheathing it, Pete held out the guidon and I accepted.

"It is with great honor that I pass this to you. With this guidon I charge you with upholding the traditions of the Alliance Military and entrust the care of these fine people to you. I know that you will succeed."

"That success with be entirely due to your tireless efforts," I replied.

He nodded. "I am ready to be relieved."

"I relieve you, sir," I said as pennants lowered around us.

We marched off of the field to applause and I wiped my forehead. "You know I'll be calling you a lot," I told him.

'I wouldn't have it any other way. Shit, I've had enough of this pomp and circumstance. We're going to the O-Club. Drinks are on me."

**Mission Day 127 - Undisclosed Tropical Island - 6:11 pm**

So, Commander Shepard was there at Omega?" Evan asked as he tugged the reins of his horse to the right, pulling the horse's head from the bush. "She's alive?"

"Yep, back from the dead, so they say. She's identified the Collectors as the perpetrators of the colony incidents."

"Well, all the more reason to only take vacations on Earth."

"The Citadel's pretty decent. Eden Prime's a good one too."

He shrugged. "I like it closer to home. So, what's this training you're in now? Phantom Program? It's not classified or anything?"

"No, it's some kind of contract program. I got a couple of shots and some cyber enhancements. Seems I have some biotic potential."

"Really? Wow, my wife...a biotic."

"Yeah, I uhhh, sliced a krogan from here to here," I said, pointing from shoulder to hip. "Crazy."

We looked out over the gathering reds and oranges of the tropical sunset, which slowly turned to purples and blues over the pines of the forest. Crickets and cicadas began chirping as birds whirled and wheeled overhead, calling in complex songs of the growing dark. I swung my leg over the saddle and hopped down from my horse, Lacey, an Arabian mare. I took the reins and guided her to a tree where I knotted them. Lacey immediately began chewing on some leaves and branches. I took a blanket from my saddle bag and laid it on the ground. "Come over here," I called and Evan swung down from the saddle.

I pulled off my jacket and shirt as he came to sit down and I rubbed his neck and shoulders. He turned and then gently guided me down. Soon, I was in nothing but leather riding boots, looking up at the distant stars. "Hey, look at that one," I said softly and Evan rolled over to see. "It looks like a supernova. I think that's in batarian space."

He didn't seem to care and rolled back on me, letting his lips work their way south. Soon, I didn't care either.

**CODEX:**

SAMC - Systems Alliance Marine Corps

SPACOM - Space Command

J-2 - Joint Staff Intelligence

J-3 - Joint Staff Operations

S-2 - Unit Intelligence

XO - Executive Officer

OSO - Offensive Systems Operator

DSO - Defensive Systems Operator

IAF - Initial Approach Fix

SIGINT - Signals Intelligence

_esprit de corps_ - morale, fighting spirit

_maitre d'armes d'escrime_ - fencing master

_Attaque a marche_ - attack with an advance

_contre-sixte_ - a circular parry, high line, strong side

_pris-de-fer_ - taking the blade, a bind, envelopment of the blade, etc.

_passata soto_ - ducking down to avoid an attack while extending your weapon

NVGs - Night Vision Goggles

REMF - Rear Echelon MF'er

Parole - a verbal or non-verbal signal to identify a contact or to indicate if a meeting is safe or not

PRF - pulse repetition frequency

Chaff - bundles of foil cut to enemy frequencies used to confuse targeting

Notch - flying perpendicular to a threat to reduce the signal to noise ratio of a targeting sensor and break the lock. Also increases the geometry that a missile has to overcome to hit its target.

SDR - surveillance detection route. A seemingly casual route that is designed to detect and /or deceive surveillance

_Enzan no Metsuke_ - Gazing at the far mountain. By focusing your eyesight behind your opponent you are able to feel changes in distance and blade angle

_Mushin_ - No mind. By removing all conscious thought, a warrior accepts her own death and is free from all mental constraints in battle

ONI - Office of Naval Intelligence

CI - Counterintelligence

RUMINT - rumor intelligence...aka rumors


	22. Kani Blancarte 3: The Scarlet Lotus

**Kani Blancarte 3: The Scarlet Lotus**

**Written and Submitted By Orifiel**

x-x-x-x-x

She was the image of reluctant glamour, a stone-faced minx dressed in fine silk and searing rage. The train of the gold evening gown fluttered along the polished marble floor behind her as her high heels clicked in step with the tall man whose arm she held. With her other hand she clutched a shimmering, opaque shawl around her shoulders that hid the multiple bruises dotting the expanse of her skin. Her black hair had grown long past her collarbones and fell in the soft waves of an elegant style. The entry way of the mansion offered a grand mirror on one side as they passed by, and she cast a sharp glance at her own reflection, barely recognizing the heavily made up visage that stared back at her.

Had it really been only a year since her untimely departure from the Citadel? Time had passed at an agonizing crawl; it felt much longer than that. Once a highly coveted flair bartender, she was now a mere object claimed in the name of obsession.

That last night in Dark Star Lounge replayed in her head daily, a subconscious implication that she had made the wrong decision when she walked away from everything she'd worked so hard for. But with one threat, one sentence, he'd taken control of her future, her life, her very fate.

"_If you don't come with me now and remain at my side, I will use everything I have to destroy all that you care about in this galaxy."_

It wasn't a bluff. He'd had her at checkmate.

And thus began the hellish nightmare on the lustrous world of Bekenstein. While he paraded her around in public as his trophy, the treatment was even worse behind closed doors. This was the same man who had assaulted her on multiple occasions in the past, most of which inflicted permanent damage to both her mind and body. And the years had only twisted him further. Between the recurring abuse and objectification, she had become a beaten animal locked in an alternating cycle of his hate and desire.

Now, she was expected to act her part in this high society event. Painted and garbed in a disguise of splendor, she walked with the stiff posture of one on the verge of snapping. The depression had given way to bitterness and resentment, and these emotions were all she had left. She needed them to retain her humanity, to hold onto the will to live.

Because she sure as hell didn't expect anyone to save her.

"Ah, Mr. Covington. Welcome to my… _humble_ abode."

Their host, Donovan Hock, greeted them with a display of arrogant humor as he stood in the middle of the grand atrium, the open balcony behind him treating them to a glimpse of the iridescent sea. The man beside her tugged her lightly forward, nodding to the other party guests nearby as he reached out to shake Hock's hand.

"Please, we're business partners now. Call me John." The deceptive charm in his voice would have fooled even the most perceptive person, and his hazel eyes settled on her, narrowing to slits as they took in her dour expression. "And you've met Kani during the annual ball on my estate, if you remember."

"Yes, a pleasure to see you again, young lady," Hock drawled, bowing when she refused to offer her hand.

"Likewise," she managed to ground out, glaring at him with open enmity.

John abruptly pulled her behind him. "Anyway, thank you for having us. Your formals are the best on Bekenstein." The debonair act was making her sick, even more so than the death grip he squeezed around her wrist behind his back, promising severe punishment later.

Hock was positively beaming at the compliment. "They are, aren't they?" he gloated brazenly. "Please, have some champagne and enjoy yourselves." And with that, he moved on to greet the next set of guests.

Before Kani could yank her wrist from his grasp, John began propelling her toward one of the drawing rooms next to the curved staircase on the left. They moved past a gaggle of people exchanging gossip, one piece of which caught her attention. Commander Shepard was alive? She would have stopped to listen further, but John's insistent steering kept her walking. Once he shoved her inside and the door slid shut after them, she had a sudden moment of déjà vu. A secluded space. A private confrontation. A man she had angered.

Her heart wrenched as she thought of the one she'd left behind.

_Krieger…_

But it was John who clamped his hand tightly around her jaw and forced her to look at him. To anyone else, he was a prized bachelor; handsome, rich, and charismatic. His power lay in his cunning, family wealth, and connections to organized crime, factors that allowed him to roam the galaxy as he pleased even after the atrocities he'd committed against her.

She had spent nearly half her life running from this depraved individual, and she'd been done for the instant he'd caught her. The past year had been a ruthless test of her will to survive. His psychotic concept of love accompanied his sadism and fixation, and it was all she could do to cling onto her sanity day in and day out at his mercy.

"If you cause me any trouble in front of my colleagues, I'm going to give my men stationed in Florida the command to gun down your husband," John warned in a malicious whisper. But even if anyone else had heard him, it wouldn't have mattered. She was surrounded by criminals in this mansion. "I've shown you their surveillance on his movements. It's why you came with me in the first place, right? Don't test me, Kani."

There was no reasoning with someone who was so morally gone that he became synonymous with evil. She simply stared back at him, saying nothing and wondering not for the first time how the shy boy she'd dated in high school had turned out to be the spawn of Satan. He regarded her for a few more moments before leaning forward to kiss her unresponsive lips.

"Behave while I go talk business," he ordered. "Hock has Eclipse mercenaries conducting security all over his grounds. They won't hesitate to kill you if you try anything. Like another escape attempt."

The loathing she felt for him threatened to burst from her mouth in a torrent of obscenities, but she swallowed the words, knowing they would only bring her more trouble later on. Instead, she jerked her face from his hold and crossed her arms, staring pointedly in another direction. He was about to seize her elbow and give her an earful, but the door to the drawing room hissed open and a man wearing Eclipse armor stepped inside.

"Mr. Covington, your presence is requested in Mr. Hock's conference room," he announced.

John released her and nodded. "I'll head there now." As he turned back to her, his mouth widened into a sneer. "Before I go, here's some news for you to mull over for the day. You know your ex-fiancé, the one who crashed that car and sent a steel rod through your uterus? I hear he's just had his first child with his wife."

His cruelty knew no end.

Kani's chest tightened as she swung her gaze to him. Unable to keep quiet any longer, she spat, "My infertility is mostly his fault, but you're also to blame because after my corrective surgery—"

Her teeth cut into her bottom lip as her head snapped to the side in a resounding slap. She cursed as she tasted blood on her tongue, her left cheekbone throbbing. He was already halfway to the exit by the time she lifted a palm to touch the area of impact gingerly.

"One more strike, Kani, and Captain Christian Blancarte is dead," he called over his shoulder.

She was then left alone with the Eclipse merc, who was watching her with disinterest. But when she tried to move past him to find a mirror and assess how bad the swelling was on her cheek, he blocked her path. Quickly, he programmed the door to lock—ignoring her alarmed inquiries—and then activated his omni-tool.

"My supervisor has a proposition for you," the merc explained as he opened the connection frequency to the head of security.

"What are you talking about?" Kani demanded. If she didn't start mingling with the other guests soon, word would undoubtedly spread to John that she was MIA.

"Makani Blancarte," a sharp female voice said from the omni-tool. "I'm Chief Roe, the commander of the Eclipse unit assigned here."

Kani frowned, dabbing at her bleeding lip. "Do I want to ask how a higher-up in a merc organization knows me?"

"You were the flair bartender of Dark Star Lounge. These elite fucktards might be so far up their own asses that they never noticed, but those of us in Eclipse knew who you were the instant you stepped on Bekenstein."

She didn't have time for this. "Look, please make this quick. What do you want?"

"Basically, you," Roe replied. "From what my people tell me, it looks like Covington blackmailed you into becoming his arm accessory when he relocated here. I can help you get away from that bastard, get your husband safe, all that jazz."

"And you're offering me this because…?"

"Again, we want you because you could be one solution to a lot of problems. Hock doesn't like Covington showing up out of the blue with all those resources at his disposal, so he wants him out of the picture. Until that happens, he's overworking my unit and getting a lot of my people killed on pointless recon raids on Covington's estate."

Kani felt a grim sort of satisfaction at the news that John had enemies even here on Bekenstein. With luck, someone would successfully kill him. Or she'd get caught in the crossfire and die, hence putting her out of her misery. Either outcome was acceptable.

There was a brief pause as Roe did a quick scan of the entire mansion, ensuring that none of Hock's loyalists could hear them. "Hock's orders are for us to eliminate him, but Eclipse has been working its own agenda. We've been slowly taking over and integrating Covington's forces into our own. They operate mainly from the homeworld, so they jumped at the opportunity to merge with us. This includes the ones who have been assigned to watch your husband."

Kani's pulse began to race as a long-forgotten feeling blossomed in her chest. It might have been hope. "So how do I play into all this?"

"I can get you on a ship out of here in a few days," Roe's voice told her. "Covington has lost his collateral over you. The plan is to get you off Bekenstein and have him follow, but you'll be under Eclipse protection."

"Wait. Which means…"

"Yeah. You'll be one of us."

Kani immediately shook her head even though Roe couldn't see it. As desperate as she was for her torment to end, a remaining piece of her integrity held her back. "Hell no. I'm not joining a merc group. I used to be a counselor; my record is spotless. I built my life around keeping myself disassociated from all illegal activity."

"And if you stay here, you don't have a fucking life anyway," Roe shot back. "So would you rather rot on this glittering planet of scum with that abusive, psychotic douche bag, or would you be willing to take a relatively benign position in Eclipse? I mean, shit, at least we're not the Blood Pack."

She could barely feel the injuries on her face as a headache started to spread through her temples. "Well, what is this position and why do you need me to fill it?"

"Jaroth leads the bulk of our organization based in Omega with the other two big merc names. Seems that the shit hit the fan over there after some turian calling himself 'Archangel' showed up and started fucking up all our operations. Most of our people are so tied up maintaining and developing weapons to deal with this asshole that we're losing leverage in the nightclub scene. Jaroth says we need someone prominent working clandestine for us in Afterlife. We need a flair bartender of your skill."

Kani hesitated, ignoring the male merc's steady gaze. "For how long?"

"For however long it takes for us to regain our standing under Aria T'Loak."

Silence fell over them as she considered this. What they were offering wasn't a way out, but a shift away from the worst circumstances. Escaping from a future trapped at John's side was a tempting prospect, especially if she had help getting rid of him once and for all. No justice system on Earth had been able to keep him behind bars, and she wasn't holding her breath for any legal aid from the rest of the galaxy. Still, if her ordeal the past year had taught her anything, it was to be cynical and suspicious.

"How am I supposed to trust that you intend to make this all work?" she asked, skeptical. "My spouse's safety is my top priority. And I was a known name on the Citadel. People might recognize me in Omega."

Roe didn't skip a beat. "Let me put it this way, hotshot. Do you really have a choice?"

Good point. Choice was a luxury she could never seem to afford anymore. She promptly made up her mind. "No, I suppose I don't."

And honestly, what did she have to lose?

Roe sounded smug. "That's what I thought. In sixty hours, our next transport ship will arrive at the docking station in the upper sector of the city. I don't care how you do it, but make sure you're there."

That... would be a problem. John had her under lock and key while he was at work, and at night he never let her out of his sight. She would have to come up with something. Fast.

"Also, we'll need time to assemble the necessary team to eliminate Covington," Roe continued. "Once you get to Omega, you'll need to take on a new alias and persona, if only to slow him from tracking you down."

_Yeah, because changing part of my identity worked out so well last time,_ she thought sourly, remembering the wasted effort in keeping up her androgynous appearance.

"All right, let's wrap this up so I can get back to work. Hock's got a big art tribute party lined up in a few weeks that I need to draft security plans for. Fucking slavedriver..." Roe muttered this last part before clearing her throat. "Got a name you can go by that I can pass on to Jaroth before you reach Omega?"

A heavily accented voice came to mind, whispering a name she longed to be called again.

_Lotusblüte._

She didn't even need to contemplate it. "Lotus."

"Got it. Consider this your welcome into Eclipse. Don't disappoint us." And without waiting for a response, Roe cut the connection to the omni-tool.

Kani's spirit, which had been pummeled to dormancy a long time ago, suddenly flared back to life. She would be on the run again. But at this point, she was willing to do anything to free herself from the clutches of the devil. Even if it meant selling her soul to another.

x-x-x-x-x

She lay passively beneath him as he moved in and out of her, keeping her good eye fixed on the digital clock across the master bedroom. Her left was swollen halfway closed from when he'd struck her again the previous day, and he'd inflicted several new cuts on her torso earlier while feeling particularly sadistic. She didn't care; tonight she would be gone.

John had sensed the change in her after Hock's party, and although he couldn't quite pinpoint what was different, he was wary of the spark that had returned to her eyes. When attempting to beat answers out of her didn't work, he imprisoned her in the main house of his estate and had her under constant watch. It posed an obstacle to the plan she had drawn up, but the return of hope had made her resourceful.

She would flee this place for good or die trying.

With a grunt, he spent himself and slid out of her, collapsing at her side on the bed. She immediately hiked down her satin nightgown and rolled over, making as if to sleep. There was a miniature frigate model on the nightstand on top of a few hard copy magazines, which hid the razor blade she had managed to sneak in while carrying out her scheme. It had been years, but she'd gone through a short course in combat training when she was still in Air Force ROTC back on Earth. She would fight dirty if she needed to.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head backwards, eliciting a startled cry that he silenced with another smack on her bruised face. A surge of anger shot through her at the rough handling, and even though she'd dealt with it for the past year, she couldn't stand it anymore.

Shooting another swift glance at the clock, she reached up to pry his hand away. "That fucking hurts, John. And I'm tired."

His eyebrows shot up. "Did you really just talk back to me?"

"No, I just wish you didn't need to smack me around to get turned on."

His expression darkened as he leaned in close, fingers tightening in her hair. "Don't forget the part where slashing you gets me off." His other hand reached for the combat knife he kept under his pillow. _"Kani, Kani, don't run from Johnny... let me feel your skin tear for me..."_

The man was insane.

Even so, he was also exceedingly sharp. He studied her as he ran the steel of the blade over her forearm, hazel irises cold and calculating. He was waiting for her to make a wrong move and reveal her intentions. There was no point hiding that she was up to something, but the only thing she could do to succeed in her plan was to amp up a game even he didn't know he was playing: conditioning and reinforcement.

The most valuable lesson she'd taken from her degree in psychology wasn't counseling, but the knowledge of how to alter human behavior. The results varied with each case, but John, for all his cleverness and smarts, could be considered one of her most successful experiments. The only reason she wasn't already dead when he would have killed her several times over was that she had been discreetly molding the severity of his actions to more acceptable levels. Over time, the beatings were reduced to a few times a week, the sex didn't require her to be bleeding profusely from fresh gashes, and he began lavishing her with gifts that she could actually use.

Such as the tools she needed to sabotage the security and surveillance systems on his property.

Supplies to build more model starships, she'd told him. She had taken to building functional miniature frigates as a hobby, and while they weren't allowed out of the master bedroom, the tools to put them together had universal purposes. And since he had been conditioned to expect sexual favors after each purchase of new starship building materials, he had been more than happy to get them for her without considering any possible alternate uses.

The irony was beautiful, and as she checked the time to make sure she had exactly a half hour left, she moved on to the second phase of the plan: diversion via seduction. Now that he was worked up, she could pull the temptress card and keep him busy while the rest of the estate dissolved into chaos.

Sliding her hands over his toned shoulders, she softened her gaze, which in turn loosened his hold on her hair. "Well... I could go for another round if you put that thing away," she said in her most enticing voice. "I'll even moan your name and beg you for more..."

He was sold so quickly, it was almost humorous. "I don't know what's been going on with you the past couple days, but you know I love it when you get like that," he growled, tossing the knife away carelessly and pouncing on her.

She should have won some kind of best actress award for this performance. Funneling all memories of her previous female lovers, she mimicked them to play the wanton vixen in his arms, gasping and moaning at all the right moments. Although sensual sex with a man she feared and despised made her want to throw up, the illusion was necessary and almost tolerable if she imagined he was someone else. Namely Krieger.

She thought about her bodyguard often. She didn't know if he was alive or dead, or if he had moved on after her disappearance, but she had never blamed him for being absent that fateful night. John had told her everything; the contract he'd put out for her, the hired guns he'd used as decoys, and Krieger's relentless pursuit to learn John's identity. Kani had been laden with guilt when she realized that during the time she'd been off gallivanting with her harem of women, Krieger had been working hard to protect her while attempting to shield her from the real danger she had been in. He had never breathed a word of complaint, and their last quarrels had happened because of her hardheadedness and his anxiety over her safety. If only she'd known. She would give anything to go back and fix it.

And depending on how this stint with Eclipse played out, she may have been granted the opportunity.

The session went on for more than one round, and by the time the thirty minutes were up, the music was blasting away and drowning out the shouts of the guards outside. They had switched positions several times and Kani had rolled on top to block his view of the balcony, where emergency lights had begun flashing in the dark. She had also managed to arm herself with the razor, hiding it in her palm under the sheets. All communications to the master bedroom had been cut off, and any moment now she expected his security team to come pounding on the door.

Sure enough, the muffled bangs and yells soon reached their ears, and John grabbed her waist to still her as he strained to listen. Brows furrowing, he pushed her off him and rolled from the bed to throw on a pair of drawstring pants. But the instant he caught sight of the flashing lights and realized she had orchestrated the whole thing, it was too late. Coming up behind him, she crouched down low and swiped savagely at the back of his right ankle with the razor, severing the achilles tendon.

He went down with an unholy scream, clutching at his ruined limb as blood gushed out and soaked the ivory carpet. She tossed the razor aside and went around the bed to grab the heavy miniature frigate, both proud of and horrified with herself for what she had done.

Walking back to where he was a writhing, wailing mess on the floor, she glared down at him balefully.

"Johnny, Johnny, don't chase down Kani... _let me feel your skull crack for me._"

Drawing strength from a year's worth of pent up hatred, anguish, and fury, she smashed the steel starship model as hard as she could into his head, deriving sick pleasure from the sound of the bone fracturing slightly. While it wasn't enough to split his cranium open, it served its purpose by knocking him out cold. At the very least, he would have a hell of a concussion. But realistically, he would have to get that skull fracture looked at.

_See how you like getting the shit knocked out of you, you bastard._

Shaken by the gruesome sight, she dropped the model and hurried to the walk-in closet to get dressed. The thought of killing him now and finally putting an end to the nightmare crossed her mind, but Roe had specified that Eclipse needed him to follow her to Omega. And besides, when it came down to it, she couldn't bring herself to directly take a human life. The capacity was there, but she wasn't made for it. She wasn't Krieger.

However, it was thanks to Krieger that making it to this point was possible. Had he not shared some of his engineering knowledge with her over the years, tinkering with the security systems wouldn't have been an option. If she made it out of here and ever saw him again, the first thing she would tell him was that he had saved her life even when he wasn't with her.

After donning loose black clothes similar to what she used to wear back on the Citadel, she shoved a Phalanx into the back of her pants and cautiously slipped through the balcony doors. The grounds were in a state of pandemonium. She had set alarms to go off everywhere, and people were running back and forth in panic and confusion. Making sure to stay out of range of the roving searchlight, she threw down the length of rope she had tied to the obscured side of the balcony railing and began rappelling down.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, she dove behind the manicured hedges to plot the rest of her escape route. Both the front and rear gates would still be manned, but with the place in disarray, she should be able to scale the large tree next to one section of the perimeter wall and make a run for it. She had been caught during her last escape attempt climbing that same tree, but at least now she had set up a large scale distraction that would raise her odds of evading detection.

With agile movements, she skirted around the main house until her destination was in sight. It was quieter here, and she glanced about warily before taking a careful step out of the bushes.

The sound of a gun cocking froze her on the spot.

"Ms. Blancarte," a male voice said from behind her. "Going somewhere?"

She shut her eyes, wracking her brain to think of something, anything, that would help her. If she died now, at least she'd given her all.

The answer came in a quiet _whoosh_, and she heard a body crumple to the ground. Taking a chance, she turned her head and saw one of John's guards lying there lifelessly, his gun still in his hand.

"Yes, she _is_ going somewhere," a new voice piped up. "Too bad the same can't be said for you."

Kani squinted through the darkness at the individual stepping toward her. The first thing she noticed was the silenced Tempest he was wielding. The second was that he wasn't part of John's personnel or even human. He was a salarian wearing Eclipse colors.

"Lotus? I'm Morl," he told her in hushed tones. "Chief Roe sent a few of us to help you get the fuck out of here, and it looks like you were doing pretty well on your own until this guy here showed up." He nudged the guard's corpse with the toe of his boot.

Not that she didn't appreciate the last minute help, but she was peeved that Roe hadn't spared the assistance earlier. "Yeah, okay. Can we go before more of these goons show up?"

"Stick with me from here on out. I'm escorting you all the way to Omega."

She nodded shortly and hurried after him. Even when he and his team led her out of the estate, took her to the docking bay, and boarded the transport ship with her, she wasn't home-free. John would eventually come after her. It didn't matter if he had a severed tendon or a traumatic head injury; he would find a way.

He always did.

x-x-x-x-x

Omega was exactly as various anecdotes had described: dark, gritty, and perpetually sketchy. Although aesthetically inferior to Bekenstein, it shared one stark similarity with the deceitful paradise: rampant criminal activity. The only difference was that Omega was proud and upfront about it. The streets were riddled with thugs and the homeless, and newcomers quickly learned to watch their backs while venturing through the dingiest sections of the station. But fortunately for the unfamiliar woman striding through the doors of Afterlife, her salarian companions were guaranteed to take out any trouble that arose their way.

Her attire consisted of black shorts and boots, an ivory tank, and a red lightweight jacket with an outline of her new namesake stitched on the back. Mid-length black hair had been highlighted with ruby and copper streaks, and while she kept her demeanor carefully neutral, her appearance and healing facial injuries were distinct enough to warrant several curious stares from both dancers and patrons. She took her place behind the bar, where the other bartenders had stepped back with wary gazes to make room. They already disapproved of this new blood, didn't like how a merc group was dabbling in club business by publicly installing a member among the staff. And most of all, they hated that Aria T'Loak was facing their direction from her balcony, watching, judging.

Almond eyes met the Omega ruler's frosty ones fleetingly, and without further ado, the demonstration began. Half the club stopped what they were doing when the first bottle sailed in the air. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she flipped a tumbler onto her elbow, listening for the beat of the music to set her tempo. It had been so long since she'd last done this. She was horribly out of practice, evident in the way she fumbled the bottle when it should have been an easy catch. Several people snickered at her near mistake, and she felt her stomach tighten as the conversation from the previous week came to mind.

"_So this is what Eclipse is offering me? The flair bartender that disappeared from the Citadel a year ago?" Aria had asked, sizing up the petite human with a bored look. "She'd better still have it, Jaroth."_

_The Eclipse leader nodded. "She'll prove herself when I bring her to the upper level. We'll fix her up in the meantime, give her a completely new image."_

"_Good. Because if she and her situation become a hindrance to me..." Aria said smoothly, the soft warning in her voice chilling the air around them, "...'Lotus' or 'Makani,' I will have her bleeding trails of red until there isn't a drop left."_

She couldn't afford to screw this up. Taking a moment to breathe, she shut out everything else and focused on bringing back the muscle memory. It was all still there, just latent and rusty. She forced her shaking limbs steady through sheer will and started the routine again. Her arms wove a flowing pattern as the bottle and tumbler went spinning over her shoulder, behind her back, above her head. A glass landed on the counter with a quick toss of her hand. She began to mix the drink, syncing her movements to the music and gaining momentum as it all slowly came back to her. She recalled her last performance in Dark Star, a disgraceful closure to her flairing career. Now was her one shot to redeem herself and gain the resources to be rid of the man who was undoubtedly already on her trail.

Beads of sweat formed on her temples as the adrenaline kicked in. She was now in a seamless dance of confident flipping and catching, and a grin lit her face as she caught sight of the stunned expressions of those around her. She shifted her concentration to the liquid measurements pouring into the glass between spins. Hopefully, she could still mix as well as she could juggle. Just as she was about to finish, however, she saw one of the batarian bartenders move from the corner of her eye. The action was discreet, but the intent was unmistakable.

With the flick of a lighter, a flame appeared and inched toward the small puddles of alcohol trailing across the bar counter. If set on fire, the blaze would engulf the drink she had been working on. She felt her temper snap.

_Oh no, you fucking don't._

Making a split second decision, she gripped the bottle and flung it hard at him. The glass of the flairing equipment was tempered so instead of breaking, the bottle bounced off his forehead back toward her. He roared as she caught it, but before he could do anything else, another bottle had been thrown at his wrist, knocking the lighter out of his hand. And soon after, he found himself assaulted by a barrage of bottles and tumblers, all bouncing back into her hands as she continued to juggle them repeatedly at him. Some of the observers laughed at the sight, and she was able to keep it going until he slapped all the equipment down to the floor. He glowered at her, a look she mirrored before smirking and holding out the mixed drink to the salarians that had accompanied her here.

Jaroth accepted the glass and examined it before passing it to Morl, who took a sip. He voiced his approval, and they all turned to gaze up at Aria, waiting for her ruling. She had the same standoffish expression, but now she was studying the flair bartender keenly. After several seconds, the Omega ruler gave a curt nod.

Morl clapped her on the back as the rest of the club returned to their business. "Good job. You're in, Lotus."

She forced a small smile at the name. "Yeah. Great..."

"Just keep up the impressive performances for us, and I'll make sure my people have your back," Jaroth declared as he checked his omni-tool. "I have to get going. Morl, I'm leaving you with the task to make sure she gets situated before you leave for Lorek in a few weeks."

"Sure thing, boss."

As Jaroth strode out of Afterlife, another batarian approached the bar and addressed the bartender who had antagonized her. "Forvan, Aria says you're to transfer to the lower level," he told him.

"What the hell, Anto?" the other exclaimed in outrage. "I've been here for years. Have this bitch stationed down there."

"You really going to argue when Aria has told you to do something?" Anto asked, completely neutral.

Forvan shot the flair bartender a death glare and stomped forward to shove her aside on his way out. "Fucking humans. Pieces of shit."

Anto returned to his post without saying anything more and Morl shook his head, muttering about why batarians weren't allowed in Eclipse. She rubbed her hip from where it had hit the bar counter and ignored the whispering of her new coworkers as they kept their distance from her. But just as she was about to ask Morl to brief her on Eclipse's plan for John Covington, a vaguely familiar face met her across the club.

The Malaysian woman was squinting at her, having paused in mid-step on her way to Aria's balcony. And when recognition dawned in her eyes, she made a beeline for the bar.

"Makani Blancarte?" the woman inquired.

She blanched as Morl immediately wedged himself in the way. "V.V.! You must be mistaken. This is Lotus, the new—"

"Wait, you were the one with the ceremonial knife... for Eva," the flair bartender blurted, leaning around Morl.

"That's right. But what are you doing here? And why do you look like a girl now?"

The salarian ran a hand down his face in exasperation. "Ladies, let's take this discussion to a more enclosed setting. And V.V., it's a good thing you are who you are because otherwise I'd probably have to kill you."

Luckily, no one else had heard "Lotus's" real name over the booming music.

"Well, I _was_ on my way to ask Aria a few questions, but my schedule has suddenly cleared up in the event of this interesting situation," V.V. said smoothly, gesturing toward the private booths. "Shall we?"

And so went the night of her official debut into Eclipse. As they made their way across the area, an announcement came on to introduce her as the flair bartender of Afterlife, along with a new title bestowed by Aria T'Loak herself.

The Scarlet Lotus.

x-x-x-x-x

A few days later, Kani had settled into her new position without too much trouble once word spread that she was acquainted with Vanessa Valentine, the pimp of Afterlife. She could guess at Vanessa's reputation in Omega, but the woman had seemed decent enough after learning Kani's story and had even become rather friendly toward her, which she hadn't expected. And while she still didn't trust anyone on this station, it was nice to have someone around—outside Eclipse—who had known who she was before she'd become "Lotus."

She had also been taken aback at the revelation that Vanessa didn't drink alcohol. The beverages the famous pimp toted around for show were actually different mixtures of apple juice. Although Kani only grew more confused the more she learned about the enigmatic woman, she refrained from asking too many questions and agreed to take over as Vanessa's primary juice mixer. But one thing that gnawed at her was how Vanessa had played into the deterioration of Eva's life on Omega.

Eva had been a mess when they'd first met, and Kani blamed herself for the rift between them during her last weeks on the Citadel. After the birth of Eva's son, Kani had distanced herself, preoccupied with her own selfish misery over her possible inability to have children. Even before that, their friendship had been falling apart as both dealt with personal issues that they hadn't shared with each other. And with Kani's sudden disappearance, she had no doubt that Eva outright hated her now for seemingly abandoning her.

The regrets were just piling up by the numbers.

The weeks passed without major incident, although the other bartenders resented her even more for stealing the spotlight through her flairing shows. The difference between their attitudes and those of Arenos and the other bartenders from Dark Star Lounge was startling, and she missed her old friends dearly. Red became her trademark color to match her title, and now that she was no longer androgynous, most of the patrons that propositioned her were male. Unfortunately, sex was the absolute last thing on her mind these days, even when the interested parties were women.

She did, however, accept the amorous advances of a heavily intoxicated (and likely drugged up) Morl on his last night before leaving on some sort of mission to Lorek, if only to thank him for all his help. The experience with a salarian was... new. And probably would not be happening again.

Jaroth had personally kept in contact with her until a run-in with the turian vigilante Archangel resulted in the death of his brother. After that, he withdrew into the Eclipse hideout and tasked one of their operatives with keeping her informed on all Eclipse activity. They had showed her surveillance of her husband to prove that he was safe, but hadn't allowed any communication between them. Thus far, she had gotten no updates on John's status, and she was becoming both anxious and irritated at the lack of news. She was doing her part impressing Aria and boosting the merc group's repute, so they had damned well better deliver on the factor she was concerned about.

Her sleep was plagued by memories of John, the nightmares more potent than they'd ever been in the past. She often woke up in a cold sweat, disoriented and frightened in the darkness of the dingy apartment Eclipse had gotten for her. The physical distance from John was a blessing and a respite, but she would never be able to fully rest until she knew for certain that he was dead and gone.

The positive thing about her work was that it kept her busy and focused. She would never forget the year she'd endured with John, but as long as her thoughts didn't wander too often, she wasn't crippled by the trauma. She still functioned socially and mentally, and her work nights generally went undisturbed. Furthermore, she was back in one of her elements. Flairing was a passion, and returning to it was soothing. As Lotus, she presented a different enough persona that barely anyone else connected her to the Citadel flair bartender.

Of course, in this small galaxy, there were some exceptions.

She had been going about her business behind the bar one evening when the flash of a bright yellow catsuit caught her attention. Her gaze locked with the wearer, a woman with brown hair and an assertive aura. Kani had another flashback of Dark Star, and she knew then that they'd met before.

Before she could stop herself, she called out, "Alice?"

The woman had been attempting to steer her companion in the opposite direction, but halted at the sound of her name. Oddly enough, Kani wasn't the only one inwardly kicking herself, although she had a clue why. The last time she had seen her, Alice Liddell had been in an Alliance uniform. A major by rank, and one of the few female patrons who had entered Dark Star that Kani hadn't hit on, but counseled. So what was she doing here now in Cerberus regalia?

Alice deliberated silently for a second before rotating to the bar. "Kani... I, um, barely recognized you with your hair that long. Hi, what are you doing here?"

"Uhh, call me Lotus, if you would," she replied, motioning for Alice to come closer. Lowering her voice, she added, "As far as Omega is concerned, Kani Blancarte doesn't exist here. Long story, but I'm the flair bartender of Afterlife now. What are _you_ doing here?"

Alice blinked at her curiously, but pointed to the insignia on her chest. "I got out of the Alliance and joined these guys. Pays better, less BS."

That was surprising to hear, and her tense behavior was a little suspicious, but Kani decided not to pry. After all, she wasn't exactly willing to share her own circumstances, either. Instead, she none-too-gracefully changed the subject by offering Alice and her friend a few drinks. They quickly accepted, and Kani had to wonder whether Alice's secrets were anywhere as dire as hers.

Another week went by, and finally she received some word on John. Jaroth sent her a brief message stating that he had left Bekenstein, but then disappeared from the grid. Not exactly what she wanted to hear. Eclipse speculated that he had recovered with the use of cybernetics, and with his absence from his estate, security was slacking. The message included the note that Chief Roe's team had begun moving in on the Covington property, but Kani couldn't have cared less about that. All she wanted to know was where the fuck John was at this moment.

What little confidence she had in Eclipse was rapidly diminishing. They had been able to separate her from John, she'd give them that. But if he tracked her down and killed her anyway, what was the point?

Not only that, but she'd been informed that Eclipse, the Blue Suns, and the Blood Pack had entered into a temporary alliance to take down Archangel. Originally, she had been told that her role in Eclipse was limited to club activities. So one could imagine her rage one afternoon in her apartment when she was given direct orders from Jaroth to prepare for taking part in the joint merc raid on the vigilante's base.

"This wasn't part of the agreement," she seethed into the omni-tool Eclipse had issued her. "My combat experience is limited to simulated exercises back on Earth. If you send me out there against a turian sniper that has already killed dozens of your best men, then don't expect me to accomplish anything other than tripping people with my corpse within the first five seconds."

"Listen, you ingrate, you'll be working on the Mechs, not going commando on the frontlines," Jaroth's voice snapped. "You overrode the high-tech security system of an entire estate. We're going to use your skills as we see fit. If you're not at the next joint merc meeting tomorrow, John Covington isn't going to be your biggest fucking problem."

Once again, she had little choice. The three merc groups had taken over an abandoned section of Zeta District as neutral ground and were holding the meeting at one of the rundown bars. It was comprised of Jaroth, Tarak, Garm, and key members of their respective groups. Kani had no idea why she was supposed to be here when her technical knowledge was pathetic compared to the Eclipse engineers discussing weapons and Mechs next to her. The leaders had already begun arguing ten minutes in while the Blue Suns barked at the riled up Blood Pack members to stand down. Somehow, she had a feeling that they were all about to just kill each other here and now, making Archangel's life a lot easier.

And just when she thought there was no possible way her day could decline any further, of course fate had to prove her wrong.

Eva Harper stepped into the building at that moment, dressed from head to toe in Blue Suns colors. Kani's jaw actually dropped as the blonde woman, green eyes steelier than ever, surveyed the scene before her. And when she noticed Kani sitting there, wearing Eclipse armor, her face briefly registered shock before twisting into animosity.

"Ka—"

"_Eva?!"_ she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "What the... why are you..."

Kani's outburst interrupted the rising aggression among the other occupants of the room. She paid no heed to their narrowed gazes as she continued to regard Eva in disbelief.

"You know this woman, Lotus?" Jaroth demanded, eyeing the blonde disdainfully.

"Lotus?" Eva spat. "That's what you're calling yourself these days?"

Kani walked over to her unsteadily, ignoring the venomous daggers Eva was glowering her way. "Never mind me, why are you here with the Blue Suns? What happened to Matthew, Tiberius, and Jen?"

"_Don't even,"_ Eva warned in dangerous tone, her hand inching to some concealed weapon at her side. "You left us. You have no fucking right to say their names."

"I didn't leave because I wanted to."

"Whatever. Looks to me like you ran off with Eclipse."

"That's not true."

"Hey," growled Tarak, "we're in the middle of talking raid strategy. Eva, you and this Eclipse broad take it outside."

Jaroth echoed the command and made impatient shooing motions with one hand until the two women moved out of the bar. Kani's heart was beating erratically as she and Eva sized each other up, former lovers-turned-friends, current enemies by association. There was something more untamed and cold about the blonde woman now, and even Kani was uncertain whether any amount of counseling would help this time.

"Eva..." she started, hating that things had come to this. "Look, I'm sorry for disappearing without a word. There were some serious issues I needed to take care of that I should have told you about—"

"Save it, Kani," Eva interrupted venomously. "You said you'd be there for me. I trusted you, but in the end you threw me away. Just like everyone else."

Kani couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I didn't throw you away," she said, sharpness lacing her words. "I'm trying to explain to you what happened and why I had to go."

"I needed you and you weren't there!" Eva shouted. "First you _had_ to go back to Earth and then you _had_ to join Eclipse? You know, that's the funny lesson about gaining a 'friend'... you can't trust anyone to put you first. You never cared about me. So don't act like I mattered to you."

That was enough. She'd been a punching bag to John and a puppet to Eclipse. She wasn't going to take this from Eva.

"_You're not the only one with fucking problems in this hellhole of a galaxy,"_ Kani snarled viciously, shoulders tense and shaking with resentment. She couldn't remember ever losing her temper like this, but now that the dam of festering negative emotions had broken, there was no stopping the flow of wrath. "I was there for you when you were new to the Citadel. I was there during your pregnancy. I was there when you gave birth. I was _right there_, the whole goddamn time, but the instant I go to deal with my own shit, this is what you think of me? Get the fuck over yourself, Eva."

She didn't care that a counselor would never act this way. She didn't care if she was being harsh or callous. She didn't care because she was tired of playing the doormat to everyone around her. She had reached her absolute limit.

If possible, the blonde woman's demeanor grew even more frigid. "You know what? I don't give a shit what your issues are, what excuses you have, or what led you here. We're finished."

"Fine with me," Kani bit out through clenched teeth, even more incensed that Eva had barely acknowledged what she'd said.

Eva turned to reenter the building, but paused to give her one last scornful glare. "And fuck you, Kani. During this raid, don't expect me to have your back. I'm one of the Blue Suns. You're part of Eclipse. If you get gunned down, I'll be more than happy to watch you die."

Kani stood there, trembling with bitterness and anger, as the door slid shut behind Eva. She was through with civility, decency, and compassion. She was through with trying to help others. And if it cost her every single bond she had forged in the past, so be it.

x-x-x-x-x

Lotus became a force of nature in the following days. Sultry and prone to violence, she eventually gained a reputation as something of a femme fatale. She toyed with interested patrons and disciplined problematic ones with well-aimed throws of flairing equipment. Her honed hand-eye coordination had allowed her to bluff her way into instilling the belief that she was a capable fighter. The knowledge that she was with Eclipse helped to boost her new image, and even Jaroth had commended her for it.

Vanessa decided that she had become notable enough to join the staff of Afterlife VIP, where only the top-listed in Omega were allowed access. Both Aria and Jaroth had approved the transfer, and Kani actually did find the atmosphere more palatable. The VIP bartenders were at least indifferent to her presence instead of outright hostile, and she blended right in with others who already had established popularity.

The Dissenters was a multi-species rock band that had skyrocketed to fame years ago, and being based in Omega meant that the members frequented Afterlife VIP on a regular basis. They also occasionally held performances in the club, a few of which Kani was able to witness. She had to admit that their teamwork and talent in producing music universally loved by each species was commendable. If their legions of fans swarming the VIP doors every night was any indication, their success was one in a million.

During their downtime, the band members usually hung around in a private booth. One particular night, however, the guitarist—RJ, she believed his name was—actually strode (or rather, stumbled) up to the bar.

"Can we get some more drinks?" he slurred, eyes glazed over.

She raised an eyebrow, suspecting that one more would send him faceplanting on the floor. As amusing as that would be, she was feeling generous enough to try to spare him the resulting tabloid pictures. "You don't think you've had enough?"

"Not blacked out yet." He bantered with her drunkenly for a few minutes about the band members and their performance history, most of which she was barely listening to until some keywords stood out to her. "...The week we did to donate to the Alliance so they could fight the Reapers better, and—"

"Wait, what was that?" she interrupted. When he stared at her in confusion and went back to talking smack about one of his bandmates, she fought the urge to thwack him upside the head. "Not about your friend, about the Reapers."

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "See, we did this thingy for a whole week where we gave our proceeds to the Alliance. The point was to help fight the Reapers, y'know, since Commander Shepard told everybody about them. She was with the Alliance, so we figured that would be the best place to give help to—"

She stopped him by placing a hand on his arm and keeping the touch gentle, knowing what she was about to say would shatter the ideals of this young musician. "Sorry to tell you, but the Alliance isn't doing shit to fight the Reapers."

He wrestled with that, the gravity of the statement seeping through his inebriated haze. "What do you mean?"

She explained to him about the situation on the Citadel, how the Council had kept all of Shepard's findings under wraps. The news reports she'd watched on Bekenstein had shown that none of this had changed during her absence. And as much as she had desensitized herself to the feelings of others, seeing RJ's face completely fall didn't sit well with her.

"So... all that money..."

"Probably went to line some general's pocket." She retracted her hand and resumed her mixing, brushing off the pinpricks of guilt for delivering the news so matter-of-factly.

He was silent for a while as it sunk in. She answered a few more questions, effectively squashing his doubts about her sincerity. Finally, sounding distraught, he repeated the order for more drinks. Giving the kid a break, she told him they were on the house, but several minutes after the tray had been placed in front of him, she found that he was still loitering at the counter.

To her consternation, the instinct to counsel rose to the surface. "You all right there?" she asked him.

"Not really. You believe Shepard about the Reapers, right?"

They hadn't exactly been at the forefront of her mind, given the more pressing matters in her near future. Still, she answered, "I don't go announcing it from the rooftops, but yes."

"So what do you do about it?"

The question caught her off guard. Do about it? She could barely do anything about taking charge of her own life. "In all honesty, I don't know if I'm going to make it to see their arrival," she said quietly. "But I was there when the Citadel was attacked. I know what I saw. And all I can do right now is hope that the rest of the galaxy gets their heads out of their asses to save themselves."

Either RJ had heard enough or he found that response acceptable because with a somber nod, he picked up the tray and trudged back to his table. Her lips settled into a straight line as she returned to her tasks. The truth had been necessary. But it wasn't as if she had wanted to break his spirit.

The next evening, it seemed that fate had finally seen fit to throw Kani a lifeline. Alice was back, looking more serious than ever as she and the same friend she'd brought with her last time strode up to the bar to ask for a private chat with the flair bartender. The request was coupled by the mention of a business proposition. Intrigued and throwing caution to the wind, Kani informed her nearest coworker that she was taking a break.

She led the two women to one of the side rooms, watching the unfamiliar one scan the space before turning on an electronic dampening field. Whatever they had in mind, she might as well hear them out. Between the impending merc raid and John still at large, she was as good as dead, anyway.

However, Alice's next words weren't what she expected to hear.

"We're Alliance military. I'm still in. And we need your help."

Kani folded her arms over her chest. So they were undercover. That explained Alice's strange behavior last time. She gestured for the Alliance officer to continue.

"Eclipse, the Blue Suns, and the Blood Pack are a growing concern for Alliance colonies in the Traverse and Terminus Systems," Alice declared. "We need information on them."

An almost gleeful feeling spread through her as she considered the prospect. So basically, they were asking her to become a double agent. A HUMINT asset. Given how disillusioned she'd been with Eclipse, she found herself more than willing. If anything, in the event that she died by John's hand, Eclipse might be going down with her. And if the Alliance wasn't preparing for war against the Reapers, they may as well prove useful in this way. Alice went on about compensation and the like, but Kani was already on board. She did need to try asking one thing, though.

"Okay. I'm with Eclipse because they got me out of a dangerous environment on Bekenstein, but now they're turning around and placing me in an even worse situation. So I'm looking to defect. Can you help me?"

Despite her pessimism and awareness that her life could very well be forfeit in the upcoming weeks, she hadn't given up.

"We can do that. We can't give you any guarantees and we can't say it won't be dangerous, but we will do all we can," Alice replied as the other woman, KD, presented Kani with a new omni-tool.

That meant that the Alliance probably wouldn't be able to get her out before the merc raid. Oh well. If she survived it, at least she still had a shot of leaving Eclipse and evading John with aid from the Alliance. She nodded in understanding.

"What we need at the moment is anything you might have on Eclipse movements and intentions," Alice said. "Your records indicate that you specialized in the field of psychology in college, so personality assessments on any of the merc leaders would be valuable, too."

Kani hid a snort. She could provide Jaroth's assessment on the spot with one word: _Asshole_.

Alice appeared pleased with her cooperation. "We're going to need you to remain in place for now while we formulate an extraction plan. Also, your code name will be MAI TAI."

"All right. Just one more thing..." Kani began, biting her her lip as pain welled up in her chest. "I've got no connections to the Blood Pack, but regarding the Blue Suns... I suggest talking to Eva Harper."

She had no idea what had happened to Eva while she'd been gone, but even with their falling out, she had no desire to see Eva perish in this place.

x-x-x-x-x

Once again, she was livid with Eclipse.

"Your team on Helyme ran into John and didn't kill him?" Kani yelled incredulously at Jaroth's image on the terminal. "I thought we were supposed to lure him away from Bekenstein and then take him out! You just let him escape and duck under the radar again?"

"I'm taking the time to personally tell you this, so watch your attitude," Jaroth barked. "We never said we'd kill him right away. We're trying to capture him to use as ransom until our forces on Bekenstein and your homeworld completely take over his assets."

Kani was sputtering. "Are you out of your damn minds? This man is a member of a powerful family with criminal connections built over generations. He hunted me clear across the galaxy and set up an elaborate scheme to trap me at his side. You don't know what you're up against. He'll outsmart all of you, and because of your overambitious plot, I'm already deceased."

"Don't like it? Tough. You keep forgetting that we're one of the largest and most widespread merc groups in existence. Now stop complaining, get your ass out of that apartment, and get to the Mech meeting with the engineers. Whether you like it or not, you're one of us."

Just for that vid call, Kani's next Eclipse report to Alice included an asterisk by Jaroth's name with the note: _Delusional wanker._

Kani was eventually able to set up a meeting with Eva through a proxy, and to her surprise, Alice told her that Eva had also agreed to work with the Alliance against the Blue Suns. Although relations between the two of them were likely irreparable, there may be hope for Eva yet.

Finally, the day of the merc raid on Archangel's base arrived.

Vanessa had opposed her involvement when she found out. Kani tried to convince herself that the pimp was only concerned with the club profits brought in by the Scarlet Lotus, but deep down she had a feeling that Vanessa had truly come to consider her a friend. It was a bit unsettling to someone who had cast off all ideals of friendship and empathy, and Kani could only awkwardly promise Vanessa that she would try to make it out alive.

She was stationed behind the barricades with the engineers, sweating in her Eclipse armor as it hit her that any moment now could be her last. Alice had promised Alliance assistance for her and Eva once the fight went to shit, but she had been unable to reach Alice's omni-tool all afternoon. The freelancers had already been unleashed in the first waves of the attack, and Kani watched blankly as they dropped one after another before even making it halfway across the bridge to the base. Shaking her head and praying that she at least had a more dignified end, she programmed the LOKI Mechs and sent them on their way.

Suddenly, she heard, "They're with Archangel!"

The gunfire erupted terrifyingly close to her post, and she quickly dropped to a crouch, drawing her Phalanx. Her breaths came out shallow and ragged in her helmet as panic threatened to take over. Troopers from the Blue Suns and Blood Pack rushed past her and jumped the barricade, shouting and firing at the new set of foes. The Eclipse engineers had been retreating, but Jaroth appeared with his second-in-command and ordered them to deploy all remaining Mechs.

A bullet ricocheted off the metal railing next to Kani and she gasped, throwing herself to the ground. Several vanguards and commandos ran by, and two of them immediately went down, the visors of their helmets shattered. Headshots.

She activated her shields with shaking fingers and tightened her grip on the Phalanx before rolling for cover behind a column. Her heart thundered in her chest as the engineers hurried to send out the rest of the Mechs, a task she had firmly abandoned even though several Eclipse operatives were screaming at her to help out. Nope. They had forced her to come here, she had obeyed, and now she was minutes away from expiring. She wasn't contributing any more of her help because, well...

Fuck Eclipse.

And at that moment, all hell broke loose. An explosion blasted the barricade apart, sending bodies and debris flying in all directions. She was saved by her cover, but her way out had been blockaded by rubble. As chaos erupted and the merc leaders threw strategy out the window to attack Archangel and his allies all at once, she took the opportunity to try to reach Alice. She was able to get through this time, but Alice and her crew were an hour away through the relay. She would have to survive on her own until then.

Jaroth had deployed a YMIR Mech himself and had been advancing on the base, but the machine had clearly been sabotaged because it began firing on him. Kani sat by as several Eclipse members tried to shoot it down, morbidly fascinated with how swiftly the Mech was wiping them out. Once it was finally destroyed, Jaroth was dead along with most of the engineers. She spared a muttered, "Good riddance," as she held her position, glancing around for another way out. She spotted several units of the Blood Pack heading for the tunnels to the lower level of the base.

"What the hell, you just going to sit back here and hide like a little girl?" came Eva's muffled voice from behind her Blue Suns helmet as she ran up to join Kani behind cover. Now that both of them were double agents for the Alliance, neither one had any loyalty for their respective merc groups.

"Shut the fuck up. Alice won't be here for another hour and I'm trying to keep my own ass safe," Kani shot back as she rose and leaned around the column to see what was happening. More mercs dropping like flies. "Eclipse got me off Bekenstein to be their bartender. I'm not supposed to be doing this combat shit."

Eva fired off several rounds at a group of vorcha from the Blood Pack. "What were you fucking doing on Bekenstein? And you can barely shoot a simple handgun straight, and you thought for some reason you should join the damn Eclipse?"

"I'm not getting into this with you right now," Kani snapped, knowing the blonde woman would never be able to comprehend her ordeal. "And what do you think you're doing shooting at the mercs? They'll think we're working with Archangel."

"Guess what, genius, we kind of are. Alice had me gathering intel, so I found something too good to be true. I didn't believe it until I saw Shepard myself before this shitstorm started. Archangel is Garrus Vakarian and those freelancers that turned against the mercs are Shepard and her squad. Fucking bitch is alive and here."

Kani gawked at her from behind her visor. So the snippets of gossip she'd heard at Donovan Hock's party had been true. She had no time to mull over that, however, as another explosion blew both of them off their feet. Kani groaned as she clutched her bruising ribs, reaching for the Phalanx that had flown out of her hand. Eva had already recovered and was switching out the thermal clip on her Carnifex. Kani dragged herself up and, seeing that the gunfire had moved to the interior of the base, began making her way to the tunnels to look for an exit.

Eva was right behind her until a remaining krogan from the Blood Pack charged, having noticed Eva's assault on the vorcha. Without thinking, Kani automatically stopped and fired all her rounds on him... which all either missed or bounced off harmlessly against his plates. Swearing profusely, she shoved the Phalanx into its holster and looked around wildly as Eva slowed him down with point blank shots. Spotting a soldering iron in the rubble, she grabbed it and tested its weight in her palm. Then, whistling to catch the krogan's attention, she hurled it with true aim, the speed of the throw too fast for him to dodge. It embedded in his eye ridge, giving Eva the chance to strike his throat with precision. He crashed to the ground, unmoving.

"I don't need your help!" Eva growled at her as they continued through the tunnels. "So don't expect the same from me. I meant what I said before about—"

"All right, I get it, you'd stomp over my dead body without a second thought," Kani cut in, rolling her eyes. "Just stop yapping if we're going in the same direction."

"Fuck you!"

"Been there, done that."

"Argh! God!"

They progressed as such for the next hour, arguing and inadvertently saving each other from close calls through Eva's marksmanship and Kani's throwing accuracy, and both denying that they had meant to help the other. They were careful to refrain from attacking the Blue Suns and Eclipse, though they didn't assist them, either. Finally, once weariness weighed down their muscles, Alice and her crew intercepted them in the Gozu District shops, and together they retreated to the Blackbird.

As soon as the doors of the vehicle sealed shut and she knew she was momentarily safe, Kani collapsed from sheer exhaustion and relief.

x-x-x-x-x

The Scarlet Lotus's final official performance was met with cheers and thunderous applause. She plastered a smile on her face and returned to her list of drink orders while half-listening to the pleas for her not to leave the following week. But it was happening. With all the merc groups in disarray, and Eclipse still scrambling to elect a new leader in Omega, she had been rewarded for her survival of the raid weeks ago by having the freedom to do as she pleased.

It was time to head back to the Citadel.

She would continue there as a double agent, having discussed it with Alice. Although she had originally been looking to defect from Eclipse, Alice had convinced her to stay in and compile reports on merc activity on the Citadel in return for protection from John. After their heavy losses not only on Omega but also on Bekenstein—she'd heard Chief Roe, her entire unit, and Donovan Hock himself had been killed during his art tribute party—Eclipse abandoned the plan to take John hostage and sent out orders to kill him on sight.

Kani was satisfied enough with that.

She had gotten off work early and was about to head back to her apartment to begin packing when she witnessed several bouncers from the upper level of Afterlife rushing into VIP, where she'd just come from. A commotion had erupted inside, but the guard at the door refused to let her back in, stating that even a member of Eclipse should stay out of this one. She shrugged and went on her way, having seen enough action firsthand to last her a lifetime.

The street leading to her apartment was eerily quiet tonight. A strong sense of foreboding came over her, and she chided herself on being paranoid even as she drew the switchblade she now kept in her pocket. It was late, people were sleeping. It was just lingering nerves from the raid. It was her own imagination. It was fine, it was all right...

It was a killer coming after her.

She heard the footstep just in time to whirl around and dodge the spiked wooden club that came down toward her head. The assailant had already been roughed up and wounded, staggering to the side when the attack missed her. And as she prepared to counterstrike, she froze at the sight of the glowing red eye and the metal shining in the streetlight under the torn skin of the ankle. He was gazing at her, his bleeding lips pulled into a smirk. But even with the cybernetics, she would recognize that face anywhere.

John was a monster... and now the exterior matched the soul.

He didn't say anything, didn't need to. She could feel the murderous intent emanating from him. Eclipse wasn't here. The Alliance wasn't here. In the end, she would have to take him on by herself after all. And in truth, this was the way it had to be.

An atmosphere of finality had settled around them. Somehow, both knew this was it. She'd spent over ten years running. A decade of restraining orders, police calls, and hospital stays. He'd robbed her of so many things, so many years, and while she would never get any of them back, she could stop him from taking anything else. Her recent experiences had given her new resolve. All the fear, anxiety, and trauma would end here, now, with one or neither of them still breathing.

Just... in the event that she didn't make it, she wished she could have seen her friends and family one last time. She wished she could have said good bye.

His lunge caught her off guard. She cried out as the blow of the club sent pain shooting through her left arm, the spikes having grazed her shoulder blade through her layers of clothing. He reared back and swung the melee weapon again, but she darted away and felt the blood trickling from the punctures. She was outmatched in close quarters, even with him already suffering prior injuries. Whatever he'd done to get to her, it hadn't hindered his ability to overpower her.

She sprinted for the community recycling bins, flicking her switchblade closed and shoving it back into her pocket before grabbing two glass bottles and smashing the bottoms against the pavement. He was closing in on her, features twisted in utter madness while he charged. She hurled the first bottle, jagged edges going straight for his head, but he deflected it with the club. Dropping the second broken bottle, she grabbed two more from the bin and chucked them simultaneously at him. He skidded to a halt when one shattered in his face, and a feral roar burst from his mouth as shards of glass flew into his normal eye.

The broken bottle came flying at him next, and her skill with throwing had gotten so strong that it buried the sharp points into the side of his neck. His grip on the club loosened, and it landed at his feet as he swiped at the glass in his flesh. With gurgling noises, he fell to his knees, expression frozen in disbelief as he keeled over and hit the ground. She lowered the next set of bottles she'd been about to throw, grimacing at the way he was twitching on his side. Straightening, she took out her switchblade.

There was no room for mercy in her hollow chest, but if she was going to kill her first human, she wanted the deed to be quick.

Panting from exertion, she approached him cautiously and crouched next to him as he clasped his neck with both hands. The switchblade rose, ready to drive into his jugular. He was shaking and facing away... looking, for the first time, completely helpless before her. Pity flooded her senses, unbidden, and there was a split second of silence as she hesitated.

Wrong move.

His arm came up without him having to look, his fist landing a punch in her stomach. The switchblade fell with a clang as the breath was knocked from her lungs, and she bitterly told herself this was why she wasn't built for combat. She made too many mistakes. She couldn't shake off her humanity.

He scrambled up and grabbed the front of her jacket with both hands, hefting her to her feet. His head and body were aesthetically ruined, ripped skin flaps hanging grotesquely and blood leaking everywhere. Her knees buckled as he pulled her close, his facial cybernetics glowing malevolently in the dimness.

"If I can't have you... well, you know how it goes," he hissed, moving his grip to her throat and squeezing her windpipe. "It's you or me, Kani. And your time's up."

She struggled even as the edges of her vision went black. So this was it? Fate had chosen him as the victor? Well... she had tried her best. She had done what she could with the life and circumstances she'd been given. Much of it had been a miserable road, testing and unjust, but she'd proven to herself that she was stronger than what destiny and God had given her credit for.

Not once had she ever given up. And at least she was going out fighting.

"_Not on my watch."_

A booming noise, a spray of blood, and the release of his hold allowed her the sweet intake of air as they both collapsed back to the ground. She sat up and coughed while rubbing her throat, gaze darting to John's motionless form bleeding out on the concrete. The back of his head had been blown open. Even he wouldn't be coming back from that.

It was finished. It was over. And she was alive.

Her savior stepped forward, and when she looked up, everything came to a standstill. The part of her she thought she'd forsaken came rushing back with alarming force. Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks as the blue eyes that stared back at her reflected the unspoken emotion. She could have sworn she was imagining things, but he was here, he was real. She had never given up, and neither had he. Her voice was hoarse, but her cry echoed throughout the entire district.

"Krieger!"


	23. Jesper Erikson 3: The Infernal Warrior

**Jesper Erikson 3: The Infernal Warrior**

**Ghostwritten and Submitted By Orifiel (for Ebe Krieger)**

x-x-x-x-x

As with most quarians, she was good at exhibiting her anger without the help of facial expressions or body language.

"We can't go natural!" she cried, high-pitched voice indignant through her helmet. "Since you're obviously unenlightened, cross-species fluid contact..."

Krieger completely tuned her out as she went on a tirade about amino acids, allergies, her immune system, and whatever the hell else she could think of to lecture him about. He sat with his elbows on his knees, rubbing his forehead and thinking about ordering a pizza later. Today was his last day off before having to get back on duty, and he thought he'd try his luck with this quarian girl he'd been talking to for several weeks now. Unfortunately, her name was so cumbersome and long that he could never remember it.

"...And that's why, if we do get, um, intimate, we have to be very careful," she finally finished nearly fifteen minutes later.

"Right. Okay. Get out."

She jolted next to him on the couch. "Excuse me?!"

"This been fun, but I'm bored now. Please leave and don't come back," he deadpanned.

A few seconds of stunned silence went by before her hand came up and slapped him across the face. "You're breaking up with me because I won't have unprotected sex with you?!"

He barely felt the stinging spot on his cheek. "Babe... we were never dating, you know."

"Ugh! You're a terrible boyfriend, you realize that?" she snarled in disgust, jumping to her feet. "We are so over!"

And as she stomped out of his condo, he leaned back into the cushions and sighed, wondering how she'd even gotten the idea that they were together. A few dinners, a few vids, and some fully clothed fondling didn't equate to a relationship. At least, not in his book.

He loitered around for a while longer, gazing out the large living room window at the perpetual dusk of Nos Astra. Illium wasn't exactly where he had hoped to end up. The glamorous planet was awash with legalized crime and extreme bureaucracy; in his opinion, basically a world of shit dressed up in sprinkles. He was repulsed by the abusive labor practices, acceptance of labeled drug use, and easy availability of any type of weapon or technology without the proper licenses. Walking the streets allowed him to witness countless numbers of naive visitors signing themselves away on contracts loaded with dangerous fine print. It was almost pathetic to watch, and given his position, there wasn't a damn thing he could do about any of it for now.

The flash of his omni-tool signaled an incoming call. He glanced down at the sender and grunted in irritation while activating the small vid screen. "...Yes," was his unenthusiastic greeting.

"Krieger," the asari's image returned with a disappointed frown. As his superior in their line of work, she had been disgruntled when all her attempts at seduction had failed. "I have an update on your orders for today."

His fierce glare would have melted iron. "I am off for this night."

"Not anymore," she said, transmitting the data to him. "Your target has been identified. You need to tell your client that it's not one of her sisters after all. The target is here on Nos Astra, so you should begin tracking his movements right away."

He was reading through the digital files as she chatted at him, his lip curling into a scowl at the details. "What's the rush? It says he has been fucking around here for two years. Why can I not wait till tomorrow?"

"Because the big boss said to start on it tonight, and you are not going to refuse," she told him sharply.

So much for pizza later. The carbs would have been nice since he had dropped down to two hundred and forty pounds recently. He exhaled in resignation. "Fine. I'm on it. But is there word on my clearance for the Citadel database? Want to read up on my client from when she lived there."

"Not yet. I'll let you know when you're in." She paused when the intercom on her desk beeped. "I have to go. If you need any further instructions, you know how to reach me." And before cutting the line, she flashed him a flirtatious smile. "And you know where to find me."

He abruptly hung up, not even having heard her last sentence as he grumbled to himself about the snail-like pace of the clearance process. He had put in for it months ago, and the longer it took to go through, the less chance it would be of any worth to him. Still, he'd gotten this far; there was little else he could do besides wait.

Three hours later, he was leaning against the wall on one end of the docking bay, pretending to read a datapad as he used his peripheral vision to scan the area. His client would be returning from a trip to Thessia, and it was expected that his target was watching from the shadows. For a man of his size and bulk, he thought he blended in rather well behind the group of lost krogan arguing with each other on how they'd ended up on Illium instead of Omega. He supposed it also helped that most of the attention in the vicinity was directed at a loud-mouthed blond man pushing his luck with a trio of Eclipse commandos.

"Come on, I know you gals are up to no good," he was saying, completely oblivious to the dangerous gazes they were fixing him with. "So just turn yourselves in now and there won't be any trouble."

The commandos all moved at the same time, palms glowing blue. The blond man found himself suspended in the air, somehow looking very surprised as the three asari prepared to pelt him with a volley of biotic attacks. He squeaked out a sheepish plea for help, which the bystanders ignored as they either went about their business or stood and watched, eager to see the biotic smackdown. Before he realized what he was doing, Krieger was marching their way.

"All right. Put the dumbass down. Stupid people don't know any better," he remarked flatly.

"Yes, what he said!" the dumbass agreed at once.

One of the commandos looked him over, recognizing who he was. She motioned for the others to stand down. "Come on. Let that thing be; he isn't worth the hassle. The ship will be here any minute."

They dropped him and filed past Krieger, eyeing him in warning. He hated mercs, namely Eclipse since that organization was scattered throughout Illium like vermin, but as long as they behaved themselves in his presence, he could tolerate them. Minimally.

"Oh, thank you," gushed the blond as he scurried up to him. "You know, you remind me of my late idol, Commander Shepard. May she rest in peace, but that was fantastic how you handled those Eclipse mercs. I could really use some pointers. Could we exchange contact info? That way we can stay in touch and—"

Krieger cut him off. "Sorry, there is so many guys under 'need a whipping' on my contacts list." He made a great show of turning on his omni-tool and tabbing through the interface. "Please be so kind as to state your name, victim."

"Uh... Conrad Verner?"

An evil smile spread across the German man's face. "You see, Conrad, I am nice sometimes. I even ask you for your name before I beat the shit out of you."

"On, um, second thought, I think I should be going..." In a flash, Conrad had shot out of there faster than the commandos could have biotically thrown him.

Krieger watched him go, satisfied. He returned to his original spot behind the krogan, who were now in each other's faces as their natural aggression fueled their ire. Keeping his sight trained on the datapad, he sensed the moment his client emerged from the ship that had just docked. She proceeded down the ramp with her entourage in tow, joined by the three Eclipse commandos as she made her way through the docking bay. He faked a stretch, taking an extended look around the rafters and dark corners for any sign of the target. Instead, what he saw was one krogan headbutting another, sending him staggering backwards toward the client.

The commandos overreacted, blasting him in the opposite direction with their biotics. He tumbled into his kinsman, and Krieger had to dive out of the way to avoid getting crushed to death by krogan ass. The brutish group pushed themselves up and, all on the brink of blood rage, charged the entourage. Onlookers cried out in alarm and ran to safe distances while the Eclipse mercs clashed with the krogan. The client stood calmly at the back, arms folded over her chest as she scowled at the mayhem. Three of the krogan broke away from the fight to attack her, and Krieger tossed away the datapad in frustration, knowing he would have to blow his cover to lend her his assistance.

She threw a stasis wave at them, allowing him time to sprint forward and tackle the one closest to her. They both went down hard, but Krieger wasted no time in pummeling the krogan with brass-knuckled fists. He struck at the regions unprotected by natural plating, and his foe was able to get in two punches before passing out. Krieger rotated his shoulder joints as he stood, readying himself as the other two broke out of the stasis field. They launched themselves at him immediately and, although besting him in size, proved they fell far short of skill.

His massive frame wasn't the most agile, but pitting himself against the clumsy oafs that came barreling at him made him look like a speed god. He dodged them with little effort and chose the one on the right to take out first. Making sure he was still positioned between them and the client, he took a running leap and swung his leg into the second krogan's face, the metal ridges of his boot ripping into the thick epidermis. With a howl, the krogan hit the floor right before getting caught in a biotic lift from a commando. While the main scuffle continued, Krieger glowered at the third krogan in challenge. This one was looking more uncertain than the others, but for the sake of his barbaric honor, he drew a Claymore.

Krieger's jaw clenched when the shotgun came into view. If he didn't disarm him soon, there would be several piles of civilian casualties. He stilled as he glanced at his client, silently urging her to lift the Claymore away. She merely smirked at him, tilting her chin and waiting for him to figure out a solution himself. Bitch.

He returned his attention to the krogan, who was looking pleased as he advanced on Krieger with the Claymore aimed at his head. Luckily, the buffoon had underestimated his strength and kept coming closer until Krieger darted forward and grabbed the firearm with both hands to point it upwards. A round fired in the air harmlessly as they both struggled to knock each other back. He could feel the weariness growing in his arms, and he reprimanded himself for becoming lax on his daily physical training in the past year. His foe wasn't tiring at all. He had to break them out of this lock before his muscles gave out.

And so, in violation of man laws everywhere, he kicked the krogan in the quad.

Krieger stumbled with the Claymore in his grip as the krogan doubled over in agony, clutching his goods. The others had all been taken care of by the mercs, and the docking bay floor was littered with both groaning and unconscious bodies. It escaped no one that Krieger had won against three krogan while unarmed. And as he surveyed the aftermath, a flutter of dark fabric on one of the catwalks caught his eye. But when he looked up, the spot was empty.

The target had seen everything.

He turned to glance at his client, the unscrupulous diplomatic emissary Nassana Dantius. She stared back at him coldly, having come to the same realization. He would undoubtedly get reprimanded for his hasty actions later. But at the same time, surging headfirst into combat and overpowering even the most savage opponents was to be expected of him.

After all, he hadn't become known as the Infernal Warrior for nothing.

x-x-x-x-x

"So what are we to do now, Krieger?" Nassana demanded in her standard condescending tone. Her silhouette stood rigidly in front of her office window, flanked on each side by an Eclipse commando.

He struggled to keep his annoyance in check. "My target knows not for sure that you hired me."

"How could they not know? You flew to my rescue without thinking," she snapped.

"Before you arrived, I saved a dumbass from your biotic fairies," he returned, ignoring the indignant glares the commandos shot him. "Made it look like I will rescue just anyone."

She slammed her palm into the surface of the desk that stood between them. "Unlikely! Listen here, my life is on the line because in case you have forgotten, your target is targeting _me_. It's an assassin! Are you certain it's not one of my sisters?"

"Yes," he replied impatiently. "The assassin is not an asari. My superior tell me that much when she called me earlier today."

Nassana's gaze pierced into him as she leaned forward. "What else do you have? Do you know their identity?"

He kept his expression perfectly neutral as he shook his head. "_Nein_. The only update I got was we could rule out asari."

She pushed herself from the desk and turned her back to him, taking a deep breath as she placed her hands on her hips. "This is ridiculous. How do you not have direct access to this information?"

"Basically... I'm the new guy."

"Goddess. And I pay good money for this?" Nassana muttered. "Very well. In that case, I will be locking myself here in Tower One until I receive word that you've eliminated the assassin. In the meantime, I expect you to work diligently and send me any relevant news and data."

"Yes."

She rotated her face toward him to give him a final scathing look. "You are dismissed."

Krieger left the Dantius Towers with a barely concealed sneer. Nassana was intelligent and shrewd, but her persistent apprehension and paranoia had prevented her from picking up on his outright lie. His files on the target were thorough and complete. If he wanted to, he could finish the job within a few weeks and move on to the next assignment. But that was just it. He needed to stay where he was. Although he would be happy to leave Illium behind, the resources he required were here, dangling just out of reach by his superior. And until he obtained them, Nassana could kiss his ass.

The next few days passed unbothered. He was back on duty, and he demonstrated his dedication to his work by sleeping past noon, going out to watch vids, and frequenting Eternity, a bar and lounge near the Nos Astra exchange. His daily reports included a lot of bullshit about his productivity—_I slept in because the target might be nocturnal; I went to see a vid because the target may have a hard-on for Blasto films; I got drunk at Eternity again in case I needed to apprehend the target while he was buying a sex slave... er, indentured servant_—and he just knew his superior was grinding her teeth as he sent them in literally seconds before the deadline, and she had no choice but to pass them on to the big boss as is.

Termination of employment didn't apply to him. People with this job simply weren't fired, and despite his lackluster performance in all work aspects since arriving at Illium, he was too good an asset to get rid of. His physical prowess was coupled with his experience in multiple specialized fields, which allowed him to conduct his business efficiently (when he felt like it). However, he knew they wouldn't let him slide with his negligent behavior forever. He had to maintain a balance to stay afloat.

And so on one of those days of reluctant job diligence, he trailed the target all the way to the edge of the city, where the urbanized structures faded out and gave way to the untouched shore of a gleaming, violet ocean. Whatever manner in which the light entered the atmosphere of this planet, the resulting colors on the natural environment were admittedly breathtaking. He was perched in an odd banyan-like tree, almost getting sidetracked with watching the purple waves lap at the white sand. It had been years since he'd been this close to a beach. The last time had been in Hawaii.

The lines in his face deepened as he buried the memories, and with great effort he forced himself to focus on his current task. The target was known to prefer being in the vicinity of large bodies of water, and Krieger had conducted the necessary detective work to pinpoint a possible hideout within the boulders several meters west. The movement patterns he had documented indicated that the target would be stopping by this location at some point in the evening. He intended to wait him out.

Easier said than done. Several hours later, after the sky had gone dark, he was suffering a case of sore bum, sweat-soaked underclothes, and possibly armor rash. Not to mention he was so hungry that the odd aviary creatures flying by were beginning to look appetizing. Needless to say, he might have made a slight miscalculation on the target's schedule and had wasted half a day unintentionally sightseeing on the most uncomfortable tree branch in this forest. Muttering curses under his breath, he fumed to himself that this did nothing for his motivation, and tomorrow he would make up for it by entering the annual Nos Astra chess tournament. In case the target was also a competitor. Or something.

But as he prepared to head home, a bullet whizzed past his ear and lodged into the bark of the tree behind him.

He flew into action, launching himself off the branch and drawing his Carnifex while activating the thermal detector of his visor. Hurrying behind the trunk, he peeked around it and spotted the target leaping down from the opposite tree, movements showing up in shades of blue on the thermal scale. He was about to start firing, but then noticed that the target was walking toward him, not running away.

"Did Nassana Dantius send you?" asked the drell, gritty voice contrasting with the soft sound of the water's waves.

Krieger kept his gun pointed at the other's chest. "Sure, we can say that."

"I am aware that she has employed your services. However, I have been studying you since the incident at the docking bay," the target continued, coming to a stop a few paces away. He had holstered his pistol. "The game you are playing is most peculiar. I have not been able to identify your hidden objective and am giving you the chance to walk away if you tell me what it is you want. Your efforts to eliminate me have seemed... half-hearted at best."

Krieger's stomach offered an adamant rumble at that moment, and impatience overrode caution as his priority switched to what he would like for dinner. "Honestly? I could not care less about you or Nassana. I go through motions until I get what I want. Has nothing to do with any of you, so if I end up killing you, nothing personal."

"I see. Well, perhaps we can come to an arrangement that would allow you to attain your goal and leave me free to carry out my contract. Considering who you are with, I have a general idea of what it is you seek."

Krieger's eyes narrowed skeptically as the drell produced a small device that he had trouble identifying in the darkness.

"This drive carries a one-time code that will override any electronic lock in any database across the galaxy. Once you activate it, the code will erase itself. You cannot use it again."

"What bullshit is this?" Krieger scoffed, lowering the Carnifex. "You expect me to believe—"

"I am taking what you said at face value, so I ask that you do the same for me. I have a wide network of contacts and resources, and an abundant supply of these drives. I am offering one to you in exchange for letting me be."

Krieger pressed his lips together and contemplated that for a few moments. This was likely some sort of trap; an attempt at diversion. Whatever that drive contained, he would be taking a chance utilizing it. One wrong move and he could be in his grave without even having accomplished anything. Still, with the excruciating wait, he was running out of both time and options. He didn't know if assassins had honor, but his instincts were telling him to trust that this one would keep his word.

Besides, if all his plans fell through and everything went to hell, it wasn't as if he'd have anything left to live for.

He approached the drell and swiped the drive out of his hand. "Deal. But mark my words, lizard man... if you are lying and I end up dead, I come back to haunt you for the rest of your days. And I can be a pain in the ass."

The other inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Duly noted. I will hold you to your end of the agreement. Good luck, and good bye."

And with that, Krieger watched Thane Krios vanish into the night.

Friend, foe, or circumstantial ally, the drell had opened another path for him. Once he returned to the city, he had dinner at a late night cafe and went back to his condo to wind down. Tossing the drive onto the coffee table, he shed his armor and clothing and was about to step into the shower when the terminal in the bedroom rang, signaling a vid call. He sighed and switched off the water, padding wearily out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips to take the call.

"What is it now?" he barked.

His superior's image glowered at him from the screen, her face remarkably red for an asari. "Krieger, you failed to send in your report today."

"I was conducting a stakeout all day," he growled truthfully. "I send you the report tomorrow."

Although her gaze roved appreciatively over his muscular bare torso, her words were stern. "You need to get your shit together when you're on duty. You're no longer a mere hired gun, and those of us above you are the ones who call the shots."

"Yeah, I am fortunate to be placed under direction of the Observer for my first assignment," he recited, the sarcasm pouring from his mouth. "Really, I weep for joy at the opportunity and such."

Nyxeris, his superior and the covert Observer assigned to keep an eye on Liara T'Soni, fixed him with a dangerous expression. "You're an agent of the Shadow Broker, Krieger. So start acting like it or we will cut short both your employment and your life."

x-x-x-x-x

Krieger took the digital frame from its spot on his desk, fingers grazing the picture that had kept him going for the past year. Everything he'd done to get to this point—every deal he'd struck, every hit he'd taken, every life he'd ended—had all been for her.

He yearned for Kani every minute of every day, and time and distance hadn't lessened his feelings. He had hit rock bottom a few months after her disappearance (or abduction) from the Citadel. The searches had come up empty, all his hopes and prayers to a God he didn't believe in yielded no results, and he was quickly losing himself to the maelstrom of despair and misery. With nowhere else to turn, he had approached Barla Von in the Financial District.

"_Fat mole. I need Shadow Broker's help. Name the price," he'd ordered._

_Barla Von had been unfazed by the menacing aura surrounding the human man. "Very well, Earth-clan. Depending on the type of information you seek, here are the figures."_

_Krieger glanced down at the datapad and flung it away immediately. "Fuck that. Do I look like a millionaire? Give me something else."_

"_Unfortunately, I cannot—"_

_Krieger drew a combat knife on him, pressing the sharp tip into the front of the volus's suit. "I am not playing with you. _Give me something else_ or I pop you like a balloon."_

_Unlike most individuals on the receiving end of Krieger's aggression, Barla Von remained calm. "I suggest you back off, Earth-clan. But I do have another way for you to pay the cost." He pressed a button that shut his office door and reached into his desk for another datapad. "Are you willing to sign your life away?"_

If it meant being able to locate Kani, he was willing to do anything. That included all the hazardous training and ethically questionable tasks he'd had to complete during the initiation process into the Shadow Broker's service. But he'd done as told with cold efficiency, earning him the reputation as the "Infernal Warrior." All of it wore on him and tested his resolve, but he pressed on, knowing that it was worth the trouble so long as it led to a way to finding her.

His focus had never wavered. His heart had never forgotten.

And tonight, as he slumped over the counter in Eternity, he had decided it was time to make his move. The drive felt oddly heavy in the pocket of his trousers, reminding him of its presence and the pressure to get this right. Nyxeris sat at his side, finishing her third drink and appearing very flushed and giddy. She turned to him, smiling radiantly, and reached out to stroke his solid pectorals beneath his fitted T-shirt. He allowed the contact and tried to remember how the flirting process went.

"Your... head is looking quite shapely," he tried, fully believing that that was the kind of panty-wetting pickup line that asari fell for.

Not so much.

"My head?" Nyxeris asked quizzically, raising an eyebrow. She pushed out her barely concealed cleavage toward him in a less than discreet manner. "Maybe you should tell me what else you find shapely about me..."

"Your two front teeth."

Another strike. Now she was staring at him, irritated.

This was so stupid. He'd never had to do this crap with Kani. She had accepted him the way he was, and while he did have his genuinely romantic moments, he could act in that manner only with her. Trying to play Romeo and pull lines out of his ass was hardly his forte, especially when the woman he was attempting to woo already had her hand down his pants.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase and get out of here?" Nyxeris suggested. Her eyes were hooded in such a way that he couldn't tell if she was aroused or sleepy.

Most likely the former, given how difficult it was for him to yank her wandering fingers from his manhood. "Okay. Your place?"

She bit her lip, batting her eyelashes at him. "I'd much rather we go to your place. I've seen your bedroom during our vid calls and would like to give that jacuzzi and king size bed a try..."

"Sorry, but my room is a mess. Last night I just had orgy with three human women, two asari, and a transsexual turian. Still not sure about the before and after gender."

The look on Nyxeris's face was priceless. "Er..."

"Had not time to clean up yet. We can go if you want, but I would not touch the stains on the sheets."

"My place. Definitely."

Krieger hid a smirk as they rose from their seats and closed out their tab. Of course the orgy story was untrue, but he'd had to ensure that they took this to Nyxeris's residence. While she was facing away, he exchanged a look with the bartender Aethyta, who nodded once at him. He nodded back, subtly, and slid his arm around his date's shoulders to lead her out of the lounge.

As soon as they entered her lavishly decorated house, she threw herself at him, clinging onto his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist as she ground her lips against his fervently. The action took him by surprise, and he reciprocated by attempting to pry her off. It had been obvious that she'd been lusting after him since the day he was sent to Illium as her subordinate, but damn. If he didn't stall her, she would possibly succeed in putting an end to his year-long dry streak; which would have been fine, except he was anatomically (and morally) not attracted to bitchy women.

When he'd asked her out for drinks, she had accepted right away, evidently believing that he'd finally seen the light and become spellbound by her charms. All reservations about his competence as a Shadow Broker agent had evaporated during their night out, and he had been amazed at how easily the deception had worked, just as with Nassana. For such an advanced species, the asari were proving to be laughably gullible in his experience.

And now he had tossed her onto her couch, his shirt having been ripped open in the front by her claws. He stood there awkwardly, contemplating his next move as she crawled toward him on her hands and knees, ready to pull him down with her. But before she could seize his belt buckle, she froze. Her body started wobbling from side to side as her eyelids slowly fluttered shut, and in the next second she collapsed face-first into the cushions, fast asleep.

A wave of relief coursed through Krieger, and he silently thanked Aethyta for whatever drug it was she had spiked into Nyxeris's drinks. If there was one asari he'd met that he respected, it was the raspy-voiced bartender who had been far too gleeful to go along with his plan.

Wasting no time, he hurriedly searched the house. He took the drive from his pocket and gripped it for luck as he wandered into the office, study, and bedrooms. His dismay grew the longer he looked, and a wrenching feeling churned in his gut as he completed the search without finding his objective. There had to be another room; he had _seen_ it during his first vid call with Nyxeris. He set out for a second round on the premises, and once he reached the study again, he noticed an oddly colored panel behind the desk. Striding up to it, he examined the perimeter and found a small button near the base. Pressing it swung the rotating wall open, and inside he saw what he'd been looking for.

The only terminal in Nos Astra with direct access to the Shadow Broker's database.

His pulse raced rapidly as he walked up and activated the CPU. Predictably, the first thing that popped up on the screen was a password prompt. He inserted the drive into one of the ports on the motherboard, and with a deep breath, he switched on his omni-tool to sync with the connection. The code within the drive worked just as Thane Krios had said it would, and he virtually maneuvered his way around until he became familiar with the interface. He had told Nyxeris that he wanted clearance to the the database to find additional information on Nassana, but his true aim had always been to gain access to the entire Citadel section.

Within minutes he found Kani's file.

His was there as well, and he downloaded that information into his omni-tool before reading everything the Shadow Broker had on Kani. Much of her personal history from back on Earth was absent, but there were several notes on her education, internship, and marital status. The bulk of her file began when they relocated to the Citadel, and his chest constricted as he transferred the data to his omni-tool, reliving the memories when he read the note about her disappearance. But when he scrolled down the page, the air promptly left his lungs.

She had been on Bekenstein for the past year. She was alive.

He would have cried with joy at that point, but there was more. John Covington was listed as her possible domestic partner—which made Krieger's blood boil—followed by the note that she had recently disappeared again. His forehead creased as he read on, learning that "Makani Blancarte" had never been found, but a woman known as the "Scarlet Lotus" fitting her description had arrived at Omega to work as a flair bartender in the Afterlife nightclub. His omni-tool had almost finished receiving her complete file, and as he was about to scroll to the next page to read the very last note, a whirring noise alerted him to the presence behind him.

He ducked and accidentally hit the metal table with his wrist just as the ball of biotic energy went sailing overhead, exploding into the terminal. The disruption to the info download had short-circuited his omni-tool, and the impact from smashing it against the table rendered it nonfunctional. As he pushed himself back up, he spotted Nyxeris hovering in the doorway of the study, disoriented and drugged, but extremely furious.

"Bastard..." she slurred, stumbling forward as she tried to biotically lift him. "I'll... kill you..."

He evaded the attack and surged forward, knocking her down with the swing of one arm. She slammed into the floor and didn't move, out cold again He would have killed her right there, but shrill alarms suddenly went off throughout the house, and he heard law enforcement officials hollering through the front door as they attempted to break it down. The window of the study offered his escape route, and as he clutched his broken omni-tool in one hand, he vaulted through and hightailed it out of there.

Once he made it back to his condo, he instantly started packing. As inconvenient as it would be to travel without a working omni-tool (and therefore without a translator), he had no time to purchase a new one. The Shadow Broker would inevitably send forces after him for his betrayal, but there was no helping it.

He knew his next destination. He'd promised himself that he would find Kani. Even if she had no desire to return to his life, it was the only way he could atone for failing in his promise to keep her safe.

x-x-x-x-x

Krieger supposed he had no room to complain about the state of Omega, given how much he'd complained about the extravagance of Illium. The station was dark and dreary, and apparently disease-ridden if what he'd heard about an outbreak of plague was true. He shifted his duffel bag on his shoulder and proceeded toward the shuttle platform going to Kima District, where he'd made living arrangements at an apartment complex that was hopefully free of convicted murderers. Once he stepped off the shuttle, what he saw was less than encouraging.

Half the block of shops had been decimated, and nowhere in sight was there any sort of cleanup or construction crew. People trudged idly by as if entire piles of bricks and rubble weren't blocking the streets, and he spotted groups of vorcha inside the dilapidated buildings, either scavenging or setting up makeshift residences. The air quality was foul from the broken sewage system, and he had a feeling that simply standing here was quite unsanitary.

His expectations for Omega were low to begin with, but this was just dismal.

He stepped back onto the shuttle and traveled to the more liveable Tuhi District, where he bullied his way into a short-term lease at the first set of acceptable lofts he came across. The landlord was fortunately a human who could understand German... and could therefore understand German threats. After dumping his things in the fully furnished apartment, he immediately went back out to start his investigation. Aria T'Loak was in charge of the entire station, but he planned to steer clear of her in order to maintain his low profile. Besides... after Illium, he was no fan of asari.

And that prejudice proved to be bothersome when he walked into the Afterlife nightclub to find the place swarmed with scantily clad asari dancers, with the asari ruler herself sitting at the throne of her high balcony. Trying not to stand out, he lumbered over to the first bar and glanced around for any telltale flipping of mixing equipment. When neither any flairing nor petite frames stood out to him, he ordered a drink from the turian bartender giving him the stink eye. Although he still hadn't replaced his omni-tool, perhaps the turian had a translator...

"_Entschuldigung. Gibt es hier neue Barkeeperinnen__?"_ he tried. _Excuse me. Are there any new bartenders here?_

"RAAAAAAAWWWWK. RAAYAAAWW, EEEEERKKKAAAR IIIIRK AAAROOOK," was the turian's aggravated answer.

...So no on the translator, then. He grunted a good bye and moved on with his drink to the next bar, where a human was manning the left end.

"_Haben Sie einen Übersetzer? __Ich suche jemanden__,"_ he said gruffly. _Do you have a translator? I need to find someone._

"Look, mate, I'm a colony kid descended from Australians so I don't have any of these Earth languages in my translation program besides English," the bartender replied. "If you're going to speak French, go talk to Jacques over there."

Krieger promptly lost his temper. "Then I say this how you can understand it. If you don't answer my questions, I kill you slowly and painfully. We clear?"

The other man was suddenly attentive. "Hey, I don't want any trouble..."

"Have you any new bartenders here lately?"

"Uh... well, all I can say is that we did have a girl come in for a while to work flairing at the bar across the way, but she got transferred," the bartender told him. "If you want to know any more, you'll have to talk to either Aria or V.V."

"Who the fuck is V.V.?"

"Oh man, you really must be new here. She's the pimp of Afterlife, a Malaysian woman. You won't find her here tonight, though. She's making her appearance at the Dissenters' performance right now."

Krieger chugged his drink and slammed the glass down on the counter. "Point me the way."

By the time he arrived in Zeta District, he was in an exceptionally bad mood. The bartender's directions had, for lack of a better term, _sucked_, and it had taken another half hour for him to find someone else who had a translator with the English and German languages programmed in. The Dissenters, he soon learned, was a rock band... holding a very packed, very loud concert in the middle of the district. The stage was shaking as the band members belted out their music, and the strobe lights roved over the frenzied, screaming audience. Several security guards stood at the edges of the area, eyeing him warily as he approached.

He didn't even know where to begin to find this "V.V." If she was anywhere near Kani's size, there was no way he was going to spot her in this crowd. He strode up to the nearest human guard.

"Tell me you have a translator. Or can speak English or German," he rumbled irritably over the music.

"Yes, I do have a translator. What do you need?"

"The Afterlife pimp."

"Oh, well if you're looking to employ her services, she's not offering up any of the girls tonight—"

"That's not what I need her for, shithead," Krieger snarled. "If I need release, I fuck your mother. Is V.V. here somewhere?"

The guard looked insulted, but managed to refrain from commenting. "That's her over there." He pointed across the crowd to a raised platform, where the woman in question stood leaning on the railing. "Good luck getting to her, though. Usually you'd have to make an appointment just to get her to look at you."

Krieger decided to wait out the concert from his spot in the back, determining that the odds of him uppercutting someone would be substantially lower if he avoided the sea of writhing and flailing limbs. Unfortunately, he had to wait two more hours for the concert to end, and by that time he was ready to bowl over everyone in his path. His ears were ringing, his head was pounding, and his fists were ready to start swinging. As soon as people began to file out in different directions, he attempted to charge a straight path toward the pimp's platform, but the sheer mass of bodies forced him toward the stage instead.

And that was how he found himself trapped in line for the band's autographs. Not only were teenage girls squealing behind him, there was also a duo of vorcha up ahead proving to be problematic. Once one of them grabbed the quarian band member's wrist roughly, Krieger had had enough. He shoved his way forward and threw his arm around the vorcha's neck to lock him in a chokehold. The quarian was quickly released as the would-be assailant made strangled noises that even a translator wouldn't have been able to decipher. Krieger flexed his muscles until the vorcha passed out, and he dropped him like a sack of potatoes as the other one struggled with security. Krieger made their job much easier by slamming his fist into the second vorcha's face, easily knocking him out and shattering most of his sharp teeth.

The Infernal Warrior was not to be trifled with. Or inconvenienced.

The guitarist of the Dissenters, at least, seemed impressed. "Whoa, man. That's pretty awesome," he said above the noise of the crowd. "Thanks for your help. My girlfriend and I appreciate it."

"Yes, yes, no problem. Now listen, string-plucker," Krieger began, glancing at the stage behind the band members, "I must get to other side of this clusterfuck to speak to V.V. If you could let me through..."

"And what do you need to speak to me for?" an accented female voice called from their left.

V.V. had come around the back of the stage and was now perched on the stairs off to the side, looking remarkably authoritative for such a small woman. Krieger was struck with vague recognition, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen her before.

"V, did you see this guy take out those two vorcha in seconds?" the guitarist asked excitedly, breaking away from the rest of the band to stand next to her.

She narrowed her eyes at Krieger. "Sure I did, RJ. But who is he?"

"Not your enemy. I hear you can tell me where to find the Scarlet Lotus," he replied, advancing past the fans to stop at the foot of the stairs.

Suspicion immediately clouded her features. "You're referring to the flair bartender of Afterlife VIP. What could you want with her?"

Although the continuous noise of their surroundings was grating on him, Krieger was determined to see this conversation through. "I was her bodyguard back when she was still Makani Blancarte."

V.V.'s expression abruptly closed off, and she regarded him with a blank look. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that name. Lotus is her own person."

"Let me see her for myself."

"Sorry, she works in the VIP section, and you're not getting in." She glanced at RJ and jerked her head toward the direction of the Dissenters' private shuttle. "The band and I are heading that way for drinks. So have a good night, whoever you are."

Krieger stared at her scrutinizingly. "You're protecting her. Believe me, I am not a danger. I have seen you somewhere before. Not on Omega."

Probably not Illium, either. And he was certain that the encounter had been recent enough that it wasn't on Earth. That left the Citadel.

She merely shrugged as the band members pried themselves away from the mob. "Maybe you have. I'm a busy woman, and I travel. Now if you'll excuse us."

Before he could protest, she led the way back to the opposite end of the stage, where the shuttle was waiting. RJ gave him a wave and an apologetic grin before following the others. Krieger would have gone after them, but they'd already piled inside and started the vehicle by the time the security guards moved out of his way. So he was left there, in the midst of the lingering horde of fans, quite displeased and rearing to fight.

Even if it took days or weeks, he was getting into that VIP section and no force in the galaxy would be able to stop him.

x-x-x-x-x

...Except for the wall of elcor and turian bouncers that had blocked all entrances to Afterlife VIP.

He cursed V.V. and her distrust of him, knowing these solid obstacles were her doing. Once he had bought a new omni-tool, he tried to argue with the bouncers, but they stubbornly remained steadfast.

"Ugly elephant. Let me through."

"With spite: Bite me."

"Raptor man—"

"Don't even try it, human. You start trouble here, we'll finish it."

Considering the number of bodies prepared to take him on, even Krieger thought it better to back down.

In the following weeks, he quickly became the local nuisance. He spent hours stalking Omega citizens to interrogate them about the Scarlet Lotus, but the effort yielded no additional information, as everyone seemed to be sworn to silence about her circumstances. He had been unable to locate where she lived even after painstakingly searching every residential area in every district. On top of it all, V.V. was nowhere to be found since she had instructed all Afterlife personnel to stay tight-lipped about her daily whereabouts, _and_ she was keeping his presence a secret from the flair bartender. Frustrated, he resolved to camp out a few meters from one entrance each night, only to find out that the bouncers would send word to Lotus to leave through the opposite entrance when she got off work.

It would be an understatement to say that Krieger was incredibly pissed off.

She was so close, yet so far out of his reach. It was ridiculous. For the first time in a year, they were in the same place at the same time, and he could _feel_ her essence. He was positive that Lotus was Kani. No matter what had happened on Bekenstein, he knew she was a survivor. Her spirit was still fighting. That heart was still beating.

And he wanted the sight of her to prove him right.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that imminent danger had already followed him to Omega, and to her. As he walked through the districts on certain evenings, he could swear he was being followed. No one had ever been there when he turned to look, but his instincts were sharp, reliable, and unfailing. He knew he had been tracked and found.

And on one fateful night while he was investigating one of the back alleys that led to the rear Afterlife VIP entrance, the enemy made itself known.

Krieger's entire body went still as several armed individuals slid out from the shadows to surround him, the telltale armor identifying them as Shadow Broker agents. He counted six in front and guessed five more at his flank, and for a wild moment he thought to be flattered that the Shadow Broker felt it necessary for this many agents to take him on. They all had their Avengers trained on him, silent as they waited. His mind was working quickly to analyze his plan of attack. Sudden movements would get him shot right away, and while he could still fight after the first three bullets, he wouldn't be standing after several dozen. He couldn't move fast enough to use the nearest agent as a shield, and he didn't have any smoke grenades to set off. His chances weren't looking good, but surrender was not an option.

At that moment, the leader of the unit appeared and stepped up to him, removing his helmet so Krieger could see the malicious smile he was directing at him.

"So, Jesper Erikson... we finally meet face to face," the unknown man said as he fixed Krieger with a triumphant look.

One eye was glowing red. The other was hazel.

Krieger had no idea who he was. "The Shadow Broker want you to take me in or kill me? I tell you now, neither will happen."

That was met with a humorless bark of laughter. "I didn't think false bravado was in your repertoire of punchlines, but I guess everyone gets a little desperate at the end of the road." He unholstered the Phalanx at his side, an unusual weapon for an agent. "But giving the Shadow Broker the finger and fucking off to Omega... that took guts, I'll give you that. Don't give a shit about anything else as long as you get what you want, right? That's one similarity we share."

"Don't know why you talk like I care what you have to say. To me, you just be one of a dozen corpses at my feet in a few minutes," Krieger stated coolly.

"Funny. I'm laughing inside, really," the leader taunted as he took another step closer, revealing something off about his face. "But you and I do have something in common. We went to the Shadow Broker for the same exact thing."

Now Krieger was just growing impatient with the man's dramatic pauses. He was ready to begin fighting even if the odds were against him, and it wasn't until he heard the next words that a blossom of apprehension crept into his chest.

"You should know why I'm here. We were sent to eliminate you for stealing unauthorized information and defecting from your position as an agent, but this... _chore_ is really just my stepping stone to taking back Kani Blancarte."

Krieger's heart stopped. He studied the leader more closely, noting the cunning gaze, the way he spoke as if he knew him. Krieger realized the abnormalities of his features were due to extensive cybernetics beneath the regrafted skin on one side of his head. But it was the sinister glint of the asymmetrical eyes—coupled with hatred and jealousy—that clued him in to the identity of this mysterious person.

"John Covington?"

The other man brought his hands together in mock applause. "The one and only. Sorry to say, but you're going to have to die so soon after we became acquainted. I'll be sure to tell Kani that you put up quite the battle even though you're going to drop dead within ten seconds after I give these guys the signal."

The rage that possessed Krieger at that instant was unlike any he'd ever experienced before. The traumatic incidents he'd gone through back on Earth had elicited fury, certainly, but each time it had been tempered with sorrow and anguish. This time, red was all he saw, the instinct to kill was all he felt, and the emotion swept him up in raw, unadulterated abandon as he slowly drew his Carnifex and pointed it at John's head. He didn't even register the first few bullets that embedded in his armor. This was the man he'd wanted to hunt down and rip apart ever since Kani disappeared from the Citadel. And now here he was, right in front of him, sneering as if he had already won.

Krieger was going to blast him right into Satan's lap in the ninth layer of hell.

Ignoring the volley of bullets that bounced off the shield he activated with his free hand, Krieger shot John several times in the forehead and then dropped into a combat roll toward the agent at his eleven o'clock. With a sweep kick, the agent went down, and Krieger reached up to break his neck as he simultaneously used him for cover. John had staggered back, sneer still in place, as the skin on his face ripped away to reveal metal plates over the bone. Krieger fired into him again from behind the limp body, but he had replaced his helmet and had given the order for the grunts to advance, guns blazing.

Although he was pinned against the wall of the alley, Krieger kept his sole focus on his target. If he died tonight, he was taking the son of a bitch with him.

"Kani and I go back a long way, Erikson," John yelled, having hidden himself somewhere behind the large crates. "It's too bad our relationship ended up this way. I gave her a choice: stay with me or I kill all her loved ones. Since she ran off and put me through all this trouble, I'm going to assume that she signed your death warrants."

What the hell was this lunatic even saying? Krieger paused in his firing to yank a grenade from the dead agent's belt and chuck it at the two on his right.

"She's something else, isn't she? Even though I had her in my grasp the whole year we were on Bekenstein, she managed to find help and escaped. Crazy bitch even fucked me up good with a razor blade and a steel starship model." He chuckled bitterly. "Not only that, her new 'friends' rendered a lot of my assets useless. Good thing I'm buddy-buddy with the Shadow Broker now. And you're just going to _love_ hearing about who she's working for—"

"Hey, Covingtwat! Shut the fuck up and come face me!" Krieger roared, tossing the corpse aside as he dove for cover at the answering grenade flying toward him. The explosion took out his shields, but the crate he found himself behind was metal. He took the opportunity to load a new thermal clip into the Carnifex.

"And here I was being considerate enough to update you on her life before snuffing yours out," John sighed. "Get rid of him, boys."

He heard running footsteps from around both corners of the crate. Swearing, he tried to activate his shields again, but the omni-tool was glitching from the grenade explosion. If he fired at one side and got shot in the head from the other...

"Krieger, what have you gotten yourself into?" yelled a familiar female voice right before a biotic charge sent several agents flying.

The first thought that came to mind didn't even have to do with the fact that he had possibly been saved. "V.V.! You know who I am after all!"

She appeared at his side with a Graal Spike Thrower and fired it at the first grunt that came around the corner at his right. "Well, I had to make sure that you hadn't aligned yourself with Kani's enemies," she returned, glaring at him sternly. "I wasn't just going to let you waltz back into her life without knowing your true intentions."

"What the fuck! I spent the past year trying to track her down to bring her home," he complained while offhandedly shooting another grunt that had popped up behind her. "And by the way, seriously, where the hell have I seen you before?"

"Fight now, talk later!"

They split up to move around the corners of the crate, gunning down each foe that came running into their line of sight. John had noticed V.V.'s presence and yelled into his radio for reinforcements once the last few agents were blasted away by her nova.

She reached out to tug Krieger's collar. "Make a run for the VIP doors! I'll cover you."

"No way, I'm going to eat this fucker's heart for dinner—"

"_Now! _We're going to need assistance once the next wave comes!"

With a frustrated growl, he bolted down the alley, throwing his shield up as V.V. charged John. He heard her curse as John sidestepped her attack, but she was agile and quick enough to avoid his counter. Once Krieger reached the doors and shouted for the bouncers to help V.V., the second wave of Shadow Broker agents came firing unexpectedly from the adjacent alley.

"Terrified: This was not in the job description," the elcor bouncer drawled as he began retreating inside the club.

"Where do you think you're going?" his turian partner bellowed, shooting back at the enemy with Krieger.

"Without regard for my reputation at this point: Anywhere but here."

Krieger made a mental note to rank elcor before asari on his shit list.

But with the number of agents attacking them, they were pressed backwards through the doors as well. The gunfire alerted the patrons to the fight, and panic instantly erupted as the music was cut and the staff reached for their weapons to stave off the invasion. The bartenders grabbed firearms from behind the bar counter while the dancers, mostly biotics, stopped twirling around the poles and started throwing singularities. Krieger spotted the members of the Dissenters jumping up from their booth right before the line of grunts filing in through the doors was blown aside by another nova. V.V. hurried inside the club, lithe form dodging bullets coming from every which way.

"Terminator is a slippery bastard," she called to Krieger, having fittingly nicknamed the man-machine John had become. "He disappeared when I tried to charge him again. Watch for him!"

Krieger had run out of thermal clips, but instead of hindering him, it meant he could simply switch to his specialty. Stomping over to the nearest set of distracted grunts, he came up behind them and began snapping necks left and right. His sharp eyes were on the lookout for John's taller figure, and only when he'd disposed of a considerable number of foes uninterrupted did he notice that he'd had his back covered.

"Oh, come on... this is the exact shit I've been hoping to avoid by frequenting VIP instead of regular Afterlife," RJ was yelling behind him, wielding a Carnifex identical to his. "And Jesus, I know you're a brute, but leave some for me!"

"Here you go, string-plucker!" he responded, shoving an agent his way.

RJ took the staggering foe down with one bullet. "Sweet. Hey Ress, check it out! Target practice!"

The quarian poked her head out from her cover behind one of the fallen tables to voice her disapproval. "Really, RJ?"

In his mind, Krieger upgraded the guitarist from "string-plucker" to _"Gitarrensaite Soldat"_... which was the slightly more flattering nickname of "guitar string soldier." He should have known that Omega residents would be able to hold their own in combat, but he was impressed that these Afterlife club members were actually seemingly on par with the horde of trained Shadow Broker agents. Suddenly, the realization hit him...

He punched his way over to where the Afterlife pimp was impaling enemies with her Spike Thrower. "V.V.! Where is she?"

She knew exactly to whom he was referring. "She left work a while ago. Should be on her way home."

"Where?"

"Fumi District."

He was about to ask her to specify, but his eyes widened when he glanced over her head. "Get down! Rocket launcher!"

Grabbing her, he tackled her to the floor as the rocket zoomed past, blowing one of the bar counters apart. John stood at the doors and hurried to reload the heavy weapon, but Krieger jumped up and surged toward him at full speed, not slowing as he ran over several grunts in his path. John's attempt to dodge this time failed as Krieger anticipated the move and stuck out an arm, effectively clotheslining the taller but narrower man. John went skidding back outside the club, the rocket launcher flying from his hands. He was given no time to recover as Krieger, fueled with the thirst for blood, landed on him and ripped the helmet from his head.

The vengeance and satisfaction tasted sweeter than anything else as Krieger slammed his fist over and over into the other's face. John nearly heaved him off several times, but Krieger bore down all his weight and paused in the beatdown to grab the other man by the throat and look him in the eye.

"It will be a damn pleasure to kill you, motherfucker. Very slowly," he growled furiously. "The human body has 206 bones. When I'm done with you, you fucking piece of shit, you will have over 600."

To his further rage, John had the audacity to laugh despite the fact that his entire face was bashed and bleeding. "Yeah? Well, good thing I upgraded, then."

Krieger didn't react in time to the heavy knee—reinforced by cybernetics—that hit him like a bludgeon in the middle of his back. The force sent him crashing into the nearby concrete wall, and John hopped up and came at him as he scrambled back to his feet. They exchanged blows, nearly matched in strength by Krieger's sheer size and John's physical enhancements. The knuckles that struck Krieger in the jaw had metal studs beneath the skin, and had he not shifted to the left, they would have dislocated it.

He returned the favor by wailing on John with his own punches, landing them on areas where he knew the cybernetics hadn't been implanted. The Shadow Broker agent armor began to crack, and Krieger aimed his next blow toward the solar plexus. John blocked him and followed up with a metal-studded wallop to his temple, rendering Krieger's vision blurry.

Breathing heavily with exertion, John seized a wooden spiked club that had been leaning against a stack of sandbags. "One last thing, Erikson. On Bekenstein, Kani's body was mine, day and night, to do with as I pleased. So now you can die knowing that not only did she scream my name during the last time we had sex, but she's going to be screaming my name when I find and kill that cunt."

And then, while Krieger was throwing blind punches and desperately trying to clear his sight, John swung the club and smashed it into his face.

The last thing he saw was stars, and Kani's distant smile among them.

x-x-x-x-x

He was out for only a short time. A splitting pain ripped through his head as he moved, but he willed himself to stand. Blood dripped from the gaping wound in his forehead, and he wiped it from his eyes with an unsteady hand, squinting in the dimness. His muffled hearing recognized the sounds of the ongoing combat inside VIP, but he knew the bastard wasn't there. John was already going after Kani. And Krieger's only advantage was that he was still alive.

As stated numerous times in the past... he was difficult as fuck to kill.

Willing his aching joints to keep going, he glimpsed the rocket launcher lying forgotten on the ground. He swiped it up and examined it, realizing that there was only one mini-rocket loaded. While it wouldn't be blowing apart any fixtures, it was enough to send one fucker into the eternal inferno. He set out for Fumi District.

He actually prayed, once again to a God he didn't think existed, that he would make it in time. As soon as he stumbled out of the shuttle, he combed the streets, watching and listening through the pounding in his skull for any sign of a scuffle. His body weighed him down from pain and exhaustion, but he forced himself to continue through the district. He was expecting cries, yelling, running, and possibly even silence in the event that he was too late. What he didn't expect was the continuous sound of glass shattering.

He turned into one block where the flickering street lights allowed him to witness a scene he didn't quite believe he was seeing.

A young woman with mid-length black hair, wearing fitted black pants and a red jacket with a lotus emblem on the back, was throwing bottle after bottle at John's weakening figure. There was a very familiar precision and grace to her throws, and even though he had never seen anyone pelt an opponent with glass bottles as weapons, she had obviously become very proficient in these types of attacks. He watched, stunned, as she managed a throw that lodged the jagged edges of a broken bottle into John's neck, sending him convulsing to the asphalt.

Kani had become a dangerous fighter.

Krieger was nearly starstruck. He could hardly wrap his mind around it. She had gone from a passive counselor to a laidback bartender to... this. His _lotusblüte_—and he now understood why she'd taken the name "Lotus"—was there, handling herself in a fight. Call the timing inappropriate, but... that really turned him on.

He came crashing back to reality, however, when John staggered back up with his grip around her throat after she'd hesitated in stabbing him with a switchblade. Her face had grown a deep shade of purple as she struggled in his clutches, refusing to give in until the life left her body. The fury welled up inside Krieger, and he raised the rocket launcher, aiming it straight at John. He didn't have to worry about hitting Kani. Just this once, justice would be served, and it would perfect his aim to 100% accuracy. The bastard had started all this shit.

Krieger would be the one to finish it. _"Not on my watch."_

John was dead before he even finished falling. The mini-rocket had detonated the back of his head, and blood and matter had splattered all over the road. Kani took a few moments to recover as Krieger tossed away the heavy weapon. His legs felt like lead as he approached her, and the instant she looked up and saw him, the shock and elation brought her to tears.

"Krieger!"

His heart wept with relief as his muscles finally gave out. Dropping to his knees before her, he gave her a contented smile when she jumped to her feet and dove to catch him. His eyes closed once he felt her arms slide around his torso, holding him against her as she cried into his neck. All the fear, trepidation, ire, and worry from the past year immediately dissipated. He could barely feel his limbs, but he hugged her back, reveling in the feelings one woman could stir within him. And here, cradled tightly in her arms, he was finally home.

And after all this time, he could think of only one thing to tell her.

"_Liebste_..." he rasped, on the brink of unconsciousness. "_Ich liebe dich_."

_I love you._

x-x-x-x-x

Krieger had moved Kani into his apartment for their last week on Omega. Their reunion had been a rollercoaster of emotion and intimacy, both clinging to the other as much as possible as if too many minutes spent separated would wake them from this dream. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled this much... or had sex this good. The fact that she had resumed a feminine appearance had driven him wild, and he loved running his fingers through her long, highlighted hair as he reacquainted himself with her body. She had accumulated even more scars from her year with John, and after he finished raging about bringing the psychopath back to life just so he could kill him again, Krieger kissed away the memories that continued to haunt her.

There was something subtly different about Kani, which was understandable, considering what she'd gone through. He hadn't been able to sit for half the story; the wrath had utterly consumed him when he heard about what John had done to her on Bekenstein. She'd left out some key details, such as how she had escaped and gotten all the way to Omega, but he didn't push her after seeing how distressed her expression grew when he asked. Just like when she had first opened up to him about her past back on Hawaii, he was amazed at her capacity to endure and survive.

Today, she was saying good bye to a few friends she had made at Afterlife VIP, namely V.V. He grudgingly forgave the pimp for making his life so much harder during his first few weeks on Omega, and she had earned his respect when he found out she'd led the VIP staff into defeating and driving off the waves of Shadow Broker agents. He was fully aware that the Shadow Broker wasn't finished with him, especially when attempting to eliminate him had cost so many people, but he would do everything he could to make sure that his connection to that organization didn't place Kani in peril. He absolutely refused to lose her again.

He spent the day packing their things together, eager to get the hell off this station and back to the Citadel. However, as he sorted through her belongings, something peculiar caught his eye.

A tri-toned helmet had been hidden inside her suitcase beneath several articles of clothing. He plucked it out of the pile, stomach turning when he recognized the insignia.

Eclipse.


	24. Tiberius Gaiterus 3: Potestatem

**Tiberius Gaiterus 3: Potestatem**

**Written and submitted by LegionN7**

**A/N: And its time for another Tiberius adventure! Updates may not be as regularly scheduled for these next several chapters, but there are plenty more in this chapter series! Reviews are greatly appreciated, as these authors have worked very hard, some even foregoing sleep or personal projects to finish these and input would be courteous.**

**Also be sure to visit Aria's Afterlife, the NUMBER ONE Mass Effect fanfiction forum right here on this site!**

"Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can I cut ya?"

I greeted the newest customer in the usual manner, neutral sales tone, friendly expression.

"Oh, just looking for a good sword."

"Practice, fencing, display, reenactment, sparring?"

"Uhh, just something sharp that looks cool."

Ten credits said that this batarian punk had just turned legal age and was looking to impress his friends.

Keeping my friendly smile and head centered, looking past the batarian, I pointed at the sword display, arranged by steel grade and species origin.

"I do happen to have a _gyreth_ Khar'shan export. 1322 Kharish steel, this one is full tang and sharp."

"Yeah yeah that'll do!" The batarian was hopping up and down, probably had a hard furry happening...

The blade had oddly shaped curves and shapes, an outward bend with a triangular protrusion, an inward with a horizontal bar, an outward with a spear point bend instead of a curve, and the tip was split like a snake tongue.

Batarian swords generally had more detail than earth, Palaven, or even Elcor swords, as 4 eyes allowed batarians to plot more trajectories than most sentients.

"You like? It even comes with a four month service plan for only an additional 80 credits... Yes? Total is 627 credits please. I'll just need you to sign this and scan your Hegemony ID..."

Waivers on blades, especially on the Citadel and its tightened restrictions, hold-harmless and as-is-where is were a must. They got filed right next to the receipts in the secured and failsafed server.

Now if the punk decided to hold up a store, I couldn't be charged as an accessory, for aiding and abetting, conspiracy, or any number of charges the lawyers love throwing around.

I sat down behind the counter and put my head in my hands, the artificial lighting seeming constricting, much like lights on an aquarium.

Stress heat prickled my skin as one of the Keepers from this block walked in, carrying out orders above us galactic guests.

At least today my displays weren't being rearranged.

I turned up the hourly news broadcast, listening with half an ear to the usual slew of bad news, inane gossip, charity snapshots, sports scores, and political intrigue.

Two years after the funeral, colonies disappearing at an alarming rate- how many could the Alliance lose?

It had been a little over a year since Eva had taken off; I talked to a few business contacts on Omega on a hunch and learned that she had joined the Blue Suns, a merc outfit known for Roman structure and ruthlessness.

I had known about the man, a 'Vido Santiago' who frequented the range Eva used to work at. He and Eva had some sort of close bond, and aside from a nagging doubt about his character, I hadn't paid much heed.

But my contact had also revealed that Vido was the Blue Suns leader, had been for twenty years. They gave me the contact information to an expert launderer, through whom I bought 'magazine subscriptions', the money moving into a blind escrow, then slowly trickling into Eva's merc account, piggybacking each paycheck.

It was the slow part of the day and so I ordered a delivery from Matoi Sushi, a Volcano Roll and a bottle of Kirin Lite. I barely made the connection of that establishment being a shared favorite of Jen and Eva, such was my current listless state.

As I waited on the food I opened my omnitool and browsed through the album of holos and holovids I had recorded, starting with the three of us- Jen, Eva and I- out on movie or dinner dates, in the Dark Star with Kani (and every so often a candid shot of Krieger and I sparring, shooting, or trading friendly insults).

Cycling through to baby Matthew just delivered, to coming home with us.

Eva holding Matthew, Jen holding Matthew, me holding Matthew... No matter how many times that screaming pair of lungs expelled body fluids over us, woke us up, or decided to break various items, he was my son, and Jen had stepped up to full-time mothering, taking her classes online instead of physically at the institutions.

I opened a video file of bathing the raisin, his little body shivering from the heat exchange.

And another of the boy at play, bouncing and giggling, smacking at toys dangled above or lan beside him.

Then one a bit later, from after Eva had left, a few months after.

"Can you say, 'Daddy?'" I cooed, small fists grabbing at my beard.

"Daddy!"

I had jolted upright a bit, called Jen in.

I had repeated the exchange, the child gleefully repeating 'Daddy!'

Jen and I had discussed the probabilities of Eva even returning, and of the word 'mommy'. Would it be fair to replace the woman? No, we decided. We would explain when he was older. MUCH older.

Eyes misting slightly, I tapped through more pictures, of poses and faces. The boy knew when his image was being taken, and always had a face ready.

Finger poised over a more recent video, a knock at the front of the store brought me back.

"_An yung ha se oh!" _I greeted the Korean, and paid for my food and beer. I returned to behind the counter, twisting off the lid and taking a sip of the beer, opening the styrofoam box containing steaming fresh Volcano Rolls.

I opened my omnitool again, and tapped the play button on the video before I could lose my nerve.

I was sitting on a blue recliner, holding Matthew and had been reading a story to him about the Ugly Vorcha.

After the story, I had decided to get some recording in for posterity.

"Who am I?"

"Daddy! You daddy, she Auntie. I wov daddy, I wov Auntie."

"Very good!"

Then all of a sudden, brown eyes large but intense, boring into my soul as they had all those months ago when he had been delivered, small hands pressed against my chest for support, standing shakily in my lap so he could be at eye-level.

"Whewe mommy?"

My mouth worked, shocked at the question.

"Auntie is being mommy for you." Jen said from behind.

My son solemnly nodded, then again said, "But whewe mommy?"

His eyes started to tear up. "Miss mommy! Wov mommy! Whewe she?"

That was the most he had spoken in one go until that point, and his understanding was slightly frightening for a child of almost two.

Since then we would get woken up several times a week to him crying and thrashing in his sleep, crying out for his mommy. As heart rending as it was, not much could be done for those bouts.

I scrolled down, finding fingerpaintings and scribblings, some of random scenes from around the Citadel, others of Jen or I.

And lastly, one I had just recorded last night.

Dinner had been put away and I was relaxing with a beer, Jen reading on the sofa next to me.

Suddenly Matthew toddled in front of us. He was walking now, blond hair ruffled, brain always active.

"Daddy, wanna sing. Use ommi too!"

"Ok son!" I said, orange glow appearing and recording function enabled. "What do you want to sing?"

"Ok red now?"

"Go ahead!"

In a shaky, imperfect, lispy child's treble, I heard one of the most beautiful renditions.

"Awmazing Gwace, how swee da sownd,

dat safe a wrench wike mommyyy

Hoo once was los but denn she foun

A howm wif daddy and auntie"

I turned off the recording, powering down the omnitool. Forcefully grabbing another part of the roll, I chewed on it to loosen the tightening in my throat. Swallowing past the lump, I quickly dried my eyes and checked my accounting books.

Sales had seen an upward trend; fear of abduction, fear of neighbor, fear of the unknown increasing weapons, canned goods, ammunition, survivalist, and plant sales.

Even on the Citadel.

Well, what can one do but try to earn enough to provide for his family?

After the rest of the workday, answering the slew of questions, dealing with flakers, rejecting scammers, book checking, and drowning in an unfamiliar slurry of melancholy, nostalgia, and angst.

_Can Matthew develop properly without his mommy?_

_How does he know shes not here and that Jen isn't his mommy?_

_Will Eva ever come back?_

_How long can I continue to operate the shop on my own?_

Shit, this wasn't me. I was _Tiberius Gaiterus. _I always had a line, a plan. Quick on a trigger, a _tsuki, _or a business deal. Unfazable.

_Yeah right, hotshot. _

I sighed and ran slightly trembling hands over bleary eyes. I hadn't been to Dark Star in a while, but Jen had a friend over to study with on her last few classes of her degree, and to help with Matthew. I had heard that Kani _and _Krieger had disappeared a while back. The turian, Arenos, was the one calling the shots now as head bartender.

I made my way to the bar, the music choice had gotten slightly more upbeat, but it was in a minor mode based on A.

_Really?_

I sauntered up to the bar and took my usual place. Arenos finished mixing a drink and walked over to me.

"What can I- Ah! TIberius. So nice of you to drop by."

"Well, I hadn't gotten any calls for maintenance, trades, or leads..." I quirked my sly, assured smile at him.

"Heh. I hope you brought your credits with you. I can't honor your previous deal, since I have no one else to watch the bar or anything."

I sighed, once again a smothering pall of ennui settling over my eyes, the cool air watering my tired eyes.

"I'll just go with the Dulca Obscura Toasted then."

"Sorry, the only human beer we have today is Old Milwaukee."

My head shot up, eyes indignant, but before I could tell him off, Arenos began chittering in turian laughter.

"One Dulca coming up."

The chill of the liquid, and the slightly sweet taste of toasted malt against hops and alcohol greeted me, carbonation and acid burning my throat as I drank. I paid and left, mulling over how to retain my agreement with the Dark Star.

I was still mulling this as I chose to walk back to our apartment, hoping the walking would be a sort of catharsis for me.

As I walked, I passed the business sector, and overheard some familiar voices.

"Menacingly and with menace: Remit to us your money, homie."

"With amusement: My bro isn't playing. He finna try your ass if you don't."

"Affirmatively: He's going to crush you. Like a pill. Or a fly."

I cleared my throat. "Diablo, Incitatus, Thunder... Consider your pays docked and in a C-Sec cell for a while."

"Shocked: Mr. T. We wer-"

"Save it. Now leave this asari alone and turn yourselves in before I ensure you're sharing a cell with Onantog Elx."

"With firm apology: We didn't mean to hold up your establishment."

"With firmer apology: It just... happened."

"With firmest apology: Sorry."

The three elcor ambled off dejectedly towards the nearest C-Sec outpost.

"Did they cause any damage? Did they take anything?" I turned my gaze on the shopkeeper.

The asari just shook her head angrily. "Get out of here, human!" Her eyes flared with the anger of a great cat wounded and petted by a child.

I sighed and walked away. Every species had some...

And I'd better have a talk with Seabiscuit about his brocors reverting to their criminal ways...

* * *

Not long after I had shamed them, after Eva had left, business had gone into a veritable boom. I had considered ways to utilize the new income, and Jen and I had discussed how best to expand. It had been agreed that opening outlets on colonies would be a good idea- especially since they would probably need my wares the most. I opened relationships with a few exploration companies, astronavs, soft drink distributors, and soon Gaither Blade and Bling was coming to Horizon, a peaceful colony in the Shadow Sea.I figured it was a modest hub of traffic, and would serve as a litmus for further expansion.

I had chanced upon the Big Dekuuna Kahunas not long after drawing the plans, carrying out some devious plot or other to hold up a store.

Much in the way I just had, I approached them, clearing my throat and exposing my sidearm. "Well hello there. Looks like we've got Seabiscuit and some of his friends plotting..."

"With terror: Please. Mercy. We'll never ever do it again..."

I crossed my arms, toying with the Paladin on my belt. "I don't like liars very much. I'm not sure how much y'all know about Scouting, but I take the Oath and Law VERY seriously. SO are you going to hold to that statement?"

At this point I had gripped the cool handle and was circling my finger over the holster where the trigger would be when the weapon snapped ready.

"With hesitation..."

"Not good enough. If you aren't going to be firm... well, this piercing mod isn't going to mushroom when it hits your bod-"

"Desperately and with resignation: What would you have us do."

I thought for a minute. "First, you will all report to my storefront tomorrow morning. You will be given training and a job, earning fair part time pay with me or a few contacts of mine. You will cease your criminal activities, or else turn yourselves in when you slip up."

Seabiscuit looked over at his gangcors. "Submissively: We agree."

I stared each of the younger ones in their massive eyes. A few were defiant and probably wouldn't show, but there were enough to have a viable workforce.

For a few days I needed to sign papers, file permits, establish supply, and hire people. Hiring was easy enough, and since I would have close-to-realtime surveillance and linkage to this location from the Citadel, I could manage the location fairly easily.

I had brought Seabiscuit with me, hoping that giving the reforming gangcor some real-world travel and business exposure would give him something to use later in his life.

"While its past the lunch tours, I may as well talk some shop. How do you make a sale?"

"Confused: by taking money in exchange for an item?"

"Thats actually the end result. But _how _is it? Any ideas?"

"Tentatively: by threatening? Coercion?"

I gave him a look of bemusement. "I wish. No, its an art form. There are a few types of customers you'll get. You have casual lookers who were impressed by the display, a color caught their fancy, or they may be searching for a gift. They will not understand technical talk, and if you use the same 'value added' tactics as with a collector, you're liable to lose the sale and come across as condescending."

"Contemptuously: Then those shoppers are scum and take up valuable oxygen."

"Uhm, you're forgetting volus. Not quite. treat them right, and you'll get a recommendation or a gift card sale so their friend/sibling/spouse/family can come and peruse. Every customer is precious. Until they become assholes. You, my friend, were an asshole. This one volus was an asshole. I _shoot _assholes."

"Derisively: Or hire them."

"And if you recall, I did so to give you and your Kahunas a chance at going legitimate. But we're drifting off-subject. Next type you have are the tunnel visionists. They are focused on ONE THING. It can be a brand, a style, a fashion; their life revolves around a turian gladius, a Kershank Mercenary kukri with sawback, or Liz Colton diamond/platinum. The value in these customers is that they've done the research and you can glean information from them. Their life goal is to educate people on the steel qualities between Gerbunker and MercTech, the performance differences between a Rosenkov and a Kassa mod, or how many ladies of what species are attracted to a Laurelein Fegel watch as opposed to the Britchon Kestrel series. They probably will not buy if you don't have the exact thing you are looking for, but knowledge is power. Power is an end."

"Cautiously: But isn't money better?"

"I figured you'd ask. And its true, you may never get anyone impressed with the micron difference in engineering between those watches. But if you DO... you now have made an easier sale. You have established authority on the subject." I rubbed my hands together. "And then we have the collectors and users. Collectors will be looking for specific things, dont care about quality as much as looks. Easy marks, as long as you have what they seek. Users need form and functionality, usually very technical. If you can speak the language, you have their trust and soon their money."

"With slight confidence: Thats a lot to take in though."

"Well, no one gets it their first few attempts. Just start paying more attention to my actual pitch than what is being sold the next few times and we will debrief afterwards."

I straightened my suit and checked my mustache and beard that they were still 'sophisticated' and not 'crazy hobo with knives'. Almost as if on my cue, two women walked up into the shop.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gaiterus?"

Sure gait, but covered. A Hornet at one's side and... M11 Suppressor under the other's jacket. What was with people and putting Suppressors in their jackets?

I motioned for them to sit at the common table in the middle of the shop, obviously this was to be important business. "Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can I cut ya? You know who I am already it would seem. What can I do for you ladies?" My gaze went to full attention, drifting between the two, waiting for them to establish hierarchy on their own.

"I'm Katie Gallard and this is my associate, Alice Gordon. Vanessa Valentine recommended you and we have a proposition."

I let out a belly laugh, head falling back as I tried to contain my mirth. Some people were like herpes. You regretted meeting them, they remind you painfully how much they're in your life on occasion, and they work their way to being in your face. Like a happy ending turned terribly wrong.

Vanessa Valentine was my herpes. Didn't contract anything from Eva... but that woman just kept showing up.

I composed myself with a long sniff, still smiling and chuckling. "Vanessa, eh? What sort of 'proposition'?" I used a flirtatious undertone, but didn't want to seem like a chauvinistic lout to these two obviously capable women.

"We need star charts. And I wouldn't mind seeing your wares. I understand that you have weapons mods, too?"

The way she said 'weapons mods' meant she wasn't after my grips and lasers or barrel extensions.

I gave a mock look of shock. "Where _ever _did you hear such a thing?"

They were either intel types, or maybe even that Cerberus group I kept hearing whispers of. Too confident and not quite grizzled enough for mercenaries, and they obviously knew enough to scan when they had entered.

The 'Alice' woman winked. "Around."

I took a gamble. "SO, you're somehow associated with Alliance intelligence, huh? I was... approached by Khalisa al-Jilani at Commander Shepard's funeral, I had opened a beneficiary wares stall. Apparently I was live because I was getting calls for weeks after, several from Alliance types; even had two government contractors walk in. Had a feeling they were from The Company."

"Not us. But you're right, we're part of the J-2, straight-up military. We heard you might be able to help us."

I gave a small signal, to the two probably a tic, but to Seabiscuit, standing silently, a command to pay attention closely.

I sat down at the table, hunched forward a bit, hands folded, and confidently moved forward. "I most certainly can. And I would be most interested in a longer-term relationship as I may need to call upon your help in the future." I stroked my beard purposefully, then tugged a bit at one side of my mustache.

_Be ready for presentation _was the sequence, but it also kept their attention on my moving hands and not my shifting eyes rapidly calculating. "Forward me what you need and we will discuss payment." I smiled benignly, and opened my omnitool. Katie tapped a few commands and some astronav sectors popped up.

I furrowed my brow. "I thought I was cynical... but the Alliance _seriously_ can't get these?" I allowed a hint of the incredulous into my voice. Let them feel like they have some control...

"Tiberius," Alice snorted, "You'd be surprised at the things we can't get. If this were really like the books, vids and games..."

I nodded sympathetically. _Almost time to let the cat out._

I have what you need. I am very well-travelled at this point. Payment, when we are finished, can go to this account."

I procured a processing card with the information, then produced an OSD with the necessary data while the funds wired.

Alice began looking around interestedly, eyes falling on different items, her gaze only lingering on my quality goods.

"Say, Tiberius, I love your blades... hit me up with that Fairbain dagger too... and that pocketknife. Damascus steel?"

I rose and grabbed the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife- known as the 'pigsticker' among the British soldiers it was issued to in World War 2- and the custom blade. I flipped the thumbstud to expose the swirled patterns on the blade, showing it as Damascus.

"I see you have good taste. I'll add it to the bill- are you a collector? User? Both?"

"Both, actually." _Meow! Get moving. _"I fence and practice Japanese swordsmanship."

My eyes lit up. I dabbled in the martial arts, but preferred to pick and choose from different disciplines, and never really had time to spar. "Excellent. We should practice sometime."

"I'd like that. Well, the Financial Manager already hates me so, let's get down to brass tacks. Disruptor rounds, not the old ones, the galactic community is going to thermal clips now. We need the new stuff. Oh, and an EMP mod."

I cocked an eye at Alice, looking slightly askance. "Well then. You sure do ask a lot of me." I held a palm up to forestall any comment. "Fortunately, I can deliver a lot."

I went around and began opening a safe. "Say I have what you seek. I need to know I can rely on your discretion and future assistance. I'm sure you've been briefed on me, so you can understand the importance of a certain twelve points to me."

"Well, provided its not illegal, immoral, or fattening, we have an understanding."

I once more made a motion to Seabiscuit, and he brought the tray of goods out and over to the pair, who began to happily point and ask.

Finally as we closed the final deal on pricing and mods, I again rubbed my beard.

"You say VV recommended me... did she say anything about guns being drawn?"

"Well, she DID mention you tried to shoot her." Alice said.

I let loose another laugh. "Not that I think you care, or that it matters, but that woman ran into me, threatened me, carrying an M11 just like you are..." I pointed offhandedly to the concealed pistol in Katie's jacket, "...long story short I had my Paladin on her in the middle of the Presidium and she had the nerve to false draw on me." I shook my head.

"Well, in any case, its been a pleasure doing business." I offered my hand to the women, offering a German business bow over each shake.

As they left and Seabiscuit returned the sensitive mods to their safe, I grabbed a carbonated sweet beverage and prepared to school the elcor.

"Now lets talk about the pink cat..."

That lesson had opened the elcor's eyes- however ponderously- to the fine art of ethically getting people's money.

My path would again cross with the officers, and I would have a place of prominence, however small, to the Alliance.

For years I had dreamed of being in the military, had worked out into the late nights, made excellent grades in school... all to be rejected every time I tried to enter for some random reason or another. It did work out well, as I had Jen and the business- _and now Matthew as well-_ but I still burned to give back somehow.

It seems that here was my chance.

Once more coming out of reverie, I figured I'd send some of the Kahunas to Arenos. Bouncing and protection was much easier for training then salesmanship or inventory stocking, and a few of the rougher ones might even enjoy it. I sent Seabiscuit a message over omni to have a few go see the turian.

Then maybe I can have my whiskey again.

* * *

I had just ordered Seabiscuit to reorganize some of the specialty collection items behind the curtain when the door jingle buzzed and two familiar faces looked up at me. I flicked my fingers under the table to keep Seabiscuit wary but behind the curtain.

"Welcome back, Alice, Katie." I offered a small bow at each of the officers, eyes intensifying and tilting forward a bit, unconsciously forcing a rapport to be constructed.

As expected, Alice spoke up first. "Tiberius, we have to thank you. The charts and mods you gave us really made a difference." She was smiling warmly, not the fake smile of a salesman on a new mark or a politician with cameras on him.

"I read about the Alliance's success at N35. You're most welcome." I had done a little bit of light sleuthing, and had found the reports of the action. By all accounts it had been a nailbiter for some, and Alice had used the Fairbairn I had sold her to save her life during a boarding repel.

"Remember what we spoke about when we last met? We would like to confirm your interest."

"Absolutely. What can I do to help?" I furrowed my brow just for the briefest of moments, hands on the counter, leaning toward the women.

Katie passed a data card over to me. "The Alliance likes to reward its friends."

I accepted the card and plugged it into my financial reader, glancing at the amount. "Uh, I'm not complaining but that sounded like a video game line." I winked at Katie. "It is indeed very generous, how do I contact you with any information?"

"We were just getting to that," Alice said, holding out an obviously custom omnitool. "It's non-attributable, encrypted and point to point only with our tools. Should we need to meet, face to face, we'll arrange the location and you will hold a magazine in your left hand to signal a safe meet. One of us will have an apple and take a bite. You'll then follow behind by 30 seconds to the final meet location. If you are ever under duress you are to try and use the word 'Charizard' in a sentence and we'll know we have to stage a rescue."

I glanced through some of the basic commands on the root menu of the tool, and nearly laughed out loud at the instructions for asset 'QUE BONE'.

Seriously...

"Sounds like complication level: Clancy."

"Its all for our safety." Alice said in a deadpan.

"Well, I'm game. Can I use this mag?" I held up the latest issue of Genitelcor and allowed it to open, relishing the shock on the officer's expressions at the elcor getting a volus full body in his love socket.

"Oh Jesus, I did not need to see that. Uhh yeah, thats fine."

"Keep that one. I've also got the latest of Fleet and Flotitties," I added, bringing out the Quarian Queen edition #56. Maybe, just maybe I could get a subscription from them...

Alice opened the centerfold, eye widening. "I never thought quarians were so... good looking."

I grinned and tugged at my moustache slightly. "So anyway, what in particular are you looking for?"

"The geth are pretty much on the run. We think we'll have them beat in another year. What we need to start thinking about is fringe elements along the Terminus Systems...Blood Pack, Eclipse, and especially the Blue Suns."

"Blue Suns?" My face flushed for a moment and I looked down into the sterile counter, face dark as memories again flooded me unbidden except by those two words. "I...I may have something for you. Look for a woman named Eva Harper."

"What's her story?"

I let out a long breath to keep mostly composed. "She's with Vido Santiago."

The women glanced at each other "One of the founders?"

"One and the same. If you see her..."

_If they see her, what? "Oh, Tiberius is worried about you." "Oh, run on home now." "Why? Tiberius wants to know."_

"...Nevermind. Forget I said anything." A line I had heard, was it from a book, a play, a broadcast show? A video game? It didn't matter, but the line made more sense to me then.

"_It contains only pain."_

"Well, in any event, thank you. I will try to relay information on shipment patterns, market flux, and presences as available."

"Thats all we ask. Thank you again, Tiberius."

"A Scout is Loyal, Helpful, Thrifty. Anytime."

"Trustworthy and Obedient as well?" Alice asked.

I let my predatory smile on my face. "You _have _been briefed well."

Once more I shook their hands, offering a German business bow before they left.

As they did, I began to consolidate my contacts at various ports. Wholesalers, distributors, dockmasters, freighter captains. I offered them all steady sums for manifests, shipping info. And before I knew it I was tapping out an email I never thought I'd type, to a recipient I'd hoped to never deal with again.

My very own herpes, Vanessa Valentine.

**SUBJECT: Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can we cut you?**

**Cantik,**

**Believe me, I'm just as surprised to be sending this as you are to be receiving. I feel safe sharing that I am an asset for certain common galactic interests**

**My few contacts on Omega can only get me shipment info on what goes to and from the station, nothing about disposition or readiness of the various merc groups or any Omega Irregulars that you, Anto or Aria lead.**

**In exchange for sharing any such info you would receive a sizeable portion of my intel payments, a bigger discount on my wares, and removal from my 'shoot on sight' list.**

**PS: I knew you never got shot**

A few minutes after hitting the 'transmit' button, I received a reply.

**SUBJECT: Re: Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can we cut you?**

**Dear Tib-bear,**

**You can cut the crap, I know who you're working for. I don't like it and I like even less that I'm going to agree to this (somewhat). But there is some interest and personal gain in there for me, not to mention the prize. I will tolerate them for now, but note that I will only be providing intel on the Blood Pack, Eclipse and Blue Suns. Aria's troops are off-limits.**

**P.S.: You might as well keep me on that list - I'll probably end up back there anyway.**

I shrugged, slightly put off that a self-avowed patriot would sound so vehement, but I figured if Herpes could give me something back aside from an unpleasant burning sensation, it'd be worth it.

And it wasn't like I couldn't figure out what was being saved for Aria. I had the import numbers, and soon the merc numbers. From there it was simple subtraction and deduction.

For close to two months I slowly and carefully built my contact chain, running it like a legit Ponzi, becoming a hub for all manner of dealers and shippers, funneling the information on to ONI, and from that information learning a great deal on my own about the trends and ebbs of the arms market on the galactic scene.

For starting as a small kiosk on Earth, in Florida in a shipping city called Tampa, I was now extremely powerful with my knowledge of the markets. I was able to expand my inventory to include more expensive goods and better quality services, upgrading from a Westinghouse powered grind wheel to precision sharpeners; from wooden racks to controllable hovering display cases.

I still remembered the official letter I had received from a bland-faced junior officer, it had the Systems Alliance letterhead (an actual paper letter...) It had read something along the lines of, "We have taken notice of your actions regarding your charitable and benevolent business practices, corporate and personal histories are sterling blah blah blah..." Then a set of orders from Alliance Intelligence.

_These documents will allow access to funds to open outlets and stock them on the following worlds: Fehl Prime, Freedom's Progress, Tetra's Folly, [redacted], Ontarom, Feros, Ferris Fields, New Canton, Shanxi, Elysium..._

All I could think was _holy shit thats a lot of taxpayer dough that I now control._

Immediately my business mind had gone into overdrive, wondering about inventory control, quality assurances, intrastellar liabilities, maintaining...

_Alliance personnel will staff these locations, along with any employees you hire independently. Contact information, accounting information, and wholesale opportunities are contained on this disk._

It was almost as a holovid, too good to be true. but everything was as it had said, and all the information was accurate.

There was also a list of business practices or personal practices that could result in suspension of agreement, incarceration, whatever. I wasn't too worried about it.

On a whim, I opened my omnitool and copied the font and size of the lettering, then overlaid 'Bowie' over the redacted colony.

As expected, it fit perfectly.

I had sighed... obviously this was a measure of colony protection... and it might be wise to not spend much time at each outlet.

After filing the necessary paperwork- because the Alliance naturally decided not to do it for me- and setting up an inventory server that I could edit prices, details, transfers, trades, at each location, it was time to just watch and let it all happen. The Kahunas could cover staffing, see more of the galaxy, maybe be inspired to become franchise managers.

I walked home to Jen and Matthew, possibilities swimming like sperm through my mind.

Jen was busy feeding Matthew his dinner of mashed potatoes and other toddler friendly pastes when my omni started buzzing with an incoming call.

"Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can I cut ya, Tiberius speaking."

"Tiberius, you sound as well as ever." One of the last voices I expected to hear over my omnitool was replicated.

"Mellita! Are you ok? Where are you?" I could barely hold back my tone of excitement at hearing her again.

"As well as I could be expected to be for being back on Omega."

"Omega? Why are you on Omega?" I tried to sound surprised, but I had known that much.

"Shit happens. How's the kid?"

"Uh, Matthew is doing well. Hes talking now. And walking. He asks for you. Asks when you're coming back." She was sounding like the woman who had walked into the Dark Star two years back, except with a colder edge like ammonia ice.

"It'll happen when it happens. Glad to know that he's still alive and kicking. Does he need anything?"

"Other than _you_? We've been keeping him active. What about you? Hows your pay?"

"Fine, I have more than enough to survive. Glad to hear that y'all are doing well. And thanks for taking care of the one thing that still matters to me. "

"Still matters to you? And yet you're staying distant? Has that Vido character got you under indentured servitude or something?" I needed to poke, to prod. I needed to hang on to this tenuous thread, a connection that could cut at anytime from a solar storm, a carrier relay reroute, a priority shift, a simple command.

"Vido, that bastard will get what's coming to him, I've seen to that. I'm busy Tiby, things have gotten chaotic here."

"So he turned out to be scum?" I channeled my rage and frustration into the next word. "Figures. But yes, lots of merc activity. Did you ever get to Bowie?"

"There was nothing there, waste of time. My family got what was coming to them for living out on the ass end of the universe."

Involuntarily, my eyebrow twitched at the utter callousness of her words and barren tone. "You say that... Yet your reason for leaving in the first place was to avenge them, was it not?"

"Sounds like you've been keeping tabs on me. Nothing better to do?"

She sounded angry, but she hadn't hung up... " It may seem like an alien concept, but I do love you, and part if that is concern. I know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself. That's why I hadn't dug up your contact information." I allowed a smirk to creep onto my voice and into my words. " But do tell me... That custom set of armor you got right before being activated... Ever check the customs stamps?"

"My armor? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ever wonder why it fits so well? Or how its tougher than that shit they hand out normally?"

"I thought.. Stop it! I'm not doing this with you Tiberius. I've left all that behind."

"And yet _you_ call _me_, make note that Matthew is what matters to you. You say you have left us behind... But Jen, Matthew, me... We haven't given up on you, Mellita. You are tough, capable. But do you really want your memories to be loss, pain, separation, longing?"

"He's my son, of course he matters to me. I just can't stop this, I'm not some good person who cares about people. I like who I am, what I've become as the galaxy shaped me into this heartless bitch. You want that back in your perfect little life?" She sounded more conflicted than what she was saying. The anthracite just may break off to reveal a diamond.

"Heartless? Yet you care enough that you ask. A bitch? Yet you aren't screaming at me. The galaxy is a cruel place, and you've seen much of that- my question to you is: do you want your life to be behind this facade of bitterness?"

"You think you know what kind of hell I've been blessed with in this lifetime? What because I told you a few little stories in our time together? Be someone else's knight in shining armor Tiberius, I don't have time to do this bullshit. I've accepted the person I am, this is my life and I'm fine with it. The Eva you knew is dead, bled to death on the floor of Vido's room months ago."

"I accept that your stint in the Suns has changed you. I accept that I will never fully understand what you have endured. We had only lived together a short while... Not long enough to truly know you.

Yet Matthew asks for you, screams for you in his sleep. He draws pictures and keeps them in a box for your 'birthday present'. He _longs_ for you. You claim he still matters... So why turn your back on that? Why mention you care but leave him without you?"

"I... I... I can't Tiberius, I can't face him and you, Jen after the things I've done. I won't bring that ugliness and hatred into your lives." And here, finally, was the heart of the matter.

"Sins can be forgiven, hatchets can be buried, hate can be released. You are a strong woman, surely you have the strength to break your own cycle of malevolence? Matthew's love is unconditional, he doesn't care what mommy has done, he cares what mommy will do with him- love or leave?"

"He doesn't know me, what if I ruin him in that process? Corrupt him and make him like me?"

"Don't forget that Jen and I are also here. We both love you no matter what you may have done. and the all of us can overcome any lingering darkness."

"You're sure you're ready for this? You're positive before i come waltzing back through that door?"

"Mellita, If I felt you were a danger in any way to Matthew, or Jen, I wouldn't have allowed this conversation to progress. Please." Even as I spoke these words though, a twinge hit my gut.

"Let me... Think.. I need to think and you're making me... I'll call you later..."

" Daddy? Who you tawking to?" Matthew had wandered into the room, remnants of rehydrated tubers smeared around his mouth, hands grubby with gravy of some sort. Blue eyes stared

"Tell him it's nobody important, I'll call you later Tiberius."

" I l-" The icon went red before I could finish my sentiment. "-ove you." I finished lamely.

I walked with Jen back into Dark Star, and two faces I hadn't imagined I'd see stood out. Kani, the flair bartender who was now long-haired and looking surprisingly feminine, was talking animatedly with Arenos, and Krieger was advancing on Seabiscuit, on bouncer rotation for the night, who had posted himself at Krieger's favorite spot.

I ran my thumb over Jen's hand and head-gestured.

"This will be interesting..." And sure enough, the scarred and tatted German placed himself directly in front of the elcor, crossing arms and flexing his considerable muscles.

"Elephant. Get the fuck out of my spot."

"Badassfully: Who are you to call me elephant, human fleshbitch."

Even from where I was I felt the big man's fury, like the waves of superheated gas off a Bessemer pile of molten iron.. I nearly slapped my own face from Seabiscuit's sheer stupidity. Krieger was not your usual human... and certainly not one to call a 'fleshbitch'.

"What the fuck, you assfaced shitpile. I am bouncer, I am Krieger. You will move aside or die painful and begging."

"With unadulterated menace:..."

"Spirits, Seabiscuit. Shut up and let the man take his post!" Arenos started trotting over towards the two bouncers.

"...I will charge you like a horny krogan, muscled one."

Krieger settled into his stance and Seabiscuit suddenly surged forward like a cold turgid mess of molasses. Suddenly, perhaps, if the observer were an obese elcor or crippled krogan.

All the blond man had to do was calmly twist aside and the lumbering gangcor passed him and bowled into Arenos, dropping the turian and landing face over chest on the bartender, struggling to stand again.

Flailing around and cursing, Arenos saw me laughing with Jen, completely unconcerned and most importantly, not moving to help.

"Tiberius, you infected asshole! Call off your bullyboy!"

All I did was nod at a group of people sitting in a uniform circle booth, who grabbed video and photo equipment and began stalking around the two.

Their shirts read 'Fornax Filmpimps'.

"Smile like you like it, Arenos!" I joked. "You're in Fornax now! I can get you a single copy or even a who-"

"No! Stop! Gah!" the flustered turian didn't even notice the film director audibly classifying the takes as 'dubious consent', 'elcor struggle snuggle', 'turian manbitch', and 'screamer turian'.

Even Krieger cracked a smile full of vindication. "Elephant would appear to have found new post for his trunk..."

"How about 'Turian Manbitch Gets Bounced?'" I suggested to the records holder, busily passing out waivers to anyone in the camera angle.

Slightly disoriented still, Seabiscuit continued to wriggle around atop the bartender until finally they disentangled themselves.

Jen and I walked up and took the customary seats at the bar, and Kani gave a small grin. "Tiberius, Jen. Been a long time. Have things been this lively since we've been gone?"

I shook my head and offered a small chuckle, thumb still stroking the back of Jen's hand. "Not really, to be honest. Arenos had me bring in the Kahunas to pick up on the slack with Krieger gone, and he just isn't you, ya know? By the way, what happened with the whole androgyny thing?"

She cleared her throat and tucked a few strands of long hair behind her ear. "Oh, I just needed a change for a while. But I'll be going back to my old look soon... this doesn't really suit me. I'm just glad to be back, though."

"And we're happy that you are," I offered amiably. "Which reminds me, I'll have a nice Scotch and a Dulca."

"I'll take an Island Fire while you're at it, babe." Jen added.

As Kani prepared the drinks, I felt a meaty palm hit my shoulder. "Canister. Could have used your sharpening skills a few times of late. But at least now I have no need to get gun oil and metal shards over my hands again now that I am back, _ja?_"

I turned in my stool and shook the man's hand. "You thought it was sharp before? I've expanded and now have the capacity to make micron edges. I think you're going to love that."

A wicked grin settled over his face. "_Ja, _I think canister will continue to keep me happy."

And with that he sauntered back to his post, where Seabiscuit wisely hadn't returned to.

I waited till Kani was relatively unbusy before motioning for another Dulca. Matthew was over at a friend's for the night so Jen and I were enjoying each other's company for the night.

I sensed it wouldn't be wise to ask right away about the past two years, I could see evidence of fairly recent injuries, a demeanor change, eyes filled with experience. Instead I figured I'd just go neutral then. "Business has expanded almost overnight, I've got storefronts on most major Alliance colonies and am starting negotiations for other locations throughout Council space."

"Congratulations!" Kani said enthusiastically. "I somehow knew you'd get big."

I smirked at Jen and opened my mouth to turn the phrase, but a shout from Krieger stopped me.

"_Arschloch! _Don't you start up flirting with my _liebste_ already, robotboy."

_Damn bar bug._

I settled for a shrug. "You wouldn't have happened to have seen Eva, have you?" I asked, leaning forward. Jen likewise had her attention fixed on Kani.

The bartender's smile was suddenly replaced by a dark expression, something I'd never seen from Kani before. "I, uh, did run into her a while ago," she said quietly, eyes trained on the next drink she was mixing. "Let's just say that she and I have closed that chapter of our lives and leave it at that."

I nodded and stared into my scotch- triple malt this time- and sighed. "I won't trouble you then. Its good to have you back with us. Even you, _greis._" I directed the last sentence into the bug, downed the remainder of my liquor, linked arms with Jen, who had since finished the Island Fire, and left back to our apartment.

Business went by as usual in the following weeks, and so did my reports to ONI.

One day I was just finishing up closing shop, sending the Kahunas on call home, when I looked up to see a vision. Blonde hair and piercing green eyes, a stiff posture, and some evidence of grievous injury; wrapped in a bundle of indomitable spirit.

"Eva." I said, giving a small head bow, trying to cover my sudden feeling of awkwardness.

"Tiby. Its... been a while."

I smiled and moved to embrace her, cautiously at first then tightening my arms as she seemed to press into me.

"How sure are you that you can even have me back?"

"The important thing is that you ARE back. And I'm sure Matthew and Jen will be thrilled to see you again." Inwardly I winced at such a terrible line. I'm sure I will have thought of a smoother one later that night.

"Jen... I've missed her good humor. And..."

I looked into her eyes and rubbed her back. "Come on, I'm sure there's gonna be some good food waiting. We got some sushi from Matoi, believe it or not."

With a strange look in her jade green eyes, she shook her head slowly and smiled again. "Everything just seems to fall into place with you."

I put my arm around her shoulder and led her to the public transport for the route home. I didn't say anything, neither did she. Words would serve little purpose here.

As we walked at last into the apartment- I refused to spend too much money willy-nilly - I looked around and gestured with my arm for Eva to go ahead in.

"Eva!" I heard Jen say in a breathy exclamation. "I'm so glad you're back!"

Embracing the other woman, Eva said in return, "I hope I am too."

"I'm sure Matthew will just go nuts when he hears your voice."

"Wheres my little monster?"

"Mommy?" All eyes went to the little boy standing in the hall, eyes going from uncertain to exhilarated within a span of seconds. His smile reached his eyes on his slightly chubby face, and he ran forward and hugged Evas leg, gripping hard.

"Oh! Theres the little bundle..."

"Like I said..." I trailed off with a smile as little Matthew started a tumult of words on what he did that day how much he missed mommy and such.

"Well, now that we're all here I suppose you'll want a story or five of my experience in hell."

Something bothered me about Eva's personality, that went beyond simple stress and shock. She sent looks that were feral, almost predatory.

I merely wrote it off as a byproduct of being in Vido's company of mercs for so long.

And that would be another tragic chip in the mosaic of pain that was to come.

**Appendix of Non-English terms**

**Potestatem (Latin): A position of absolute power**

**tsuki (Japanese Kendo term): A blade thrust**

**arschloch (German): asshole**

**liebste (German): darling**


	25. Eva Harper 3: Femme Fatale

**Eva Harper 3: Femme Fatale**

** Written and submitted by Bronzedamazon**

"Asshole." Eva opens her eyes and looks at her reflection in the mirror of Vido Santiago's bathroom, letting her thoughts become drowned out by the sound of the running faucet. The cool water drips from her face into the gleaming silver basin as she gingerly touches under her right eye, tracing the purple and blue circle that so clearly outlined her delicate facial structure. The swelling had finally started to go down, leaving her with only a bruise from her latest altercation with Vido.

Eva turned the handle for the sink as she caught a glimpse the fading green and yellow skin on the other side of her face. The remnants of another black eye that had been healing for a matter of days since their last big row was now just simply another reminder of what her love from the man was doing to her. Despite their dilapidating relationship becoming more evident from the bruises and scars he continued to leave on her skin, she skillfully maintained her shrewd appearance of the woman that had left the Citadel all those months ago, she was still Eva Harper.

Eva had come to prize herself on the reputation she had garnered in being Vido's girlfriend, doing her part in serving underneath him as a Blue Sun mercenary and ensuring that the reputation of the mercenary group continued to flourish. Even now with their relationship in turmoil, she was still known for being a devilish woman that had impeccable accuracy with a shotgun, not to mention her unquenchable passion for watching a man slowly die with the blade she carried on her side.

Eva had been branded as untouchable as long as she was with him, which had served her well considering that she had such a volatile temper with a short fuse. When she had been with Tiberius and Kani, the ugly lust that she had gained for evil had been melted away, allowing the woman she had always wanted to be to show through her tarnished exterior. That person was now hidden under the new scars and hatred that had been cultivated with her time in Vido's web of diabolical influence.

Vido, the name was synonymous with the love she felt for him in the past and the hatred that had started to develop after the first time he had let his hands leave a mark on her skin. Eva would think back to the first time he struck her, the smell of alcohol clinging to his breath as they clashed behind closed doors. The screaming match had ended with blood falling from her busted lip and her knife to his throat. Somehow, the manipulative snake was able to calm her down, causing her to believe that the worst of the altercation was over. Eva let the knife drop to the floor beside his head as she stood up; parting from Vido who still laid on the ground as she packed her things to leave.

Eva had her back to him for no more than a minute when he managed to grab her from behind and plunge the knife deep into the right side of her chest. She gasped in pain, attempting to scream as she looked down to see crimson red start to soak through the front of her shirt. Eva reached for the wound, feeling that time was no longer racing by as it had when the two of them were tussling moments before. Life had seemed to slow down; ensuring that every second of hell was being etched into her memories with renewed vigor.

Thinking that the worst was over, Eva pulled her hand away from her shirt, looking at her own blood coating her fingertips. She had made a mistake in paying little regard to Vido as she had focused on the copious amount of pain flooding her senses, allowing him the opportunity to strike again with the blade, piercing the other side of her chest. Eva sputtered red droplets as he withdrew the blade from her, images of her life flashing before her eyes.

Eva crumpled to the floor, the taste of copper still dancing on her tongue as she started to hear a gargle in her breaths. She could feel the tears in her eyes as she rolled on to her back, the noise in her chest letting her know that she was slowly going to drown in her own blood. Vido kneeled beside her, a glint of malevolent content in his eye as he ran the knife down her chin and across her neck. Eva began to cough, counting the sheer amount of minutes she had left until she would close her eyes for the final time.

"Remember this moment for the next time you try to leave me Eva." Vido drops the knife beside her, its metallic ping slicing through the air as he calls for someone to come in and keep her from meeting her maker. Eva fully recovered with time but lived in fear of what devious things that the man would do should he ever find himself without her company. Vido was well aware of Eva's son Matthew and was not above making threats against the one person that was most precious to her.

As the fights between the two of them continued to escalate, her temper would cause her to act out against other members of the Blue Suns. For every wound that Eva would sustain from her fights with Vido she would make sure and leave a mark on someone, allowing nothing to go unreciprocated on some level. Eva would continue her duties, avoiding the man whenever possible and soon they were no longer sharing the same room. She was still his other half, but the long line of consorts that Vido trailed in and out of the other quarters let her know that nothing was truly as it seemed. Eva was fully aware that her days with the man were numbered, causing her to run on anticipation of what the next days would hold for her.

"Eva, are you just about ready?" She clasped her last buckle on her thigh as she turned to look at Vido.

"Yes I am. Now do you mind telling me where the hell we are?" She slid her knife into the holster on her right side, smiling at the security that she felt as the hilt connected with the holster. The blade was the same one that she had carried since it was given to her by Kani, the blade that had severed her ties from Vanessa Valentine.

"Omega," Vido stood, looking like a statuesque pillar as he waited for Eva to take in the next words that uttered with no remorse, "I'm stationing you here."

"What did you just say?" She almost yelled as she let her eyes meet his, "What did you just fucking say to me?" She stepped closer to him, reaching for her blade that she was now ready to use to skin him alive with.

"You heard me Eva. I'm not killing you, I still own you the same as I always have but I can't be bothered with you for a while. You are getting stationed on Omega, report to Tarak." Vido said flatly as he let a cold smirk come to his face.

"Tarak? That batarian scum? Are you kidding me Vido?" Eva tried to maintain her composure as her emotions start to swell, her short fuse burning ever quicker. "You aren't doing this. Tell me you aren't really serious about stationing me here after everything that I've told you about this place!"

"Eva, I don't want to kill you, hell I love you." Vido starts to chuckle as he taps his omni-tool. "I have decided that you are too important to just kill off like some common whore, but I need you here… There are things I have to deal with and you would only get in my way." Four armed men enter the room, each with a weapon pointed at her. She recognizes one of them, a turian named Denarius who she had grown to despise from being under his constant surveillance. Vido had always been a believer in keeping his fine things under lock and key. Eva being one of those things that he had treasured, she had always been assigned what would called a 'baby sitter'.

"You asshole… You fucking asshole! How can you do this to me?" She curls her fingers into fists as she holds them by her side, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I love you, promised you that I'd always take care of you and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm leaving you here, to be 'taken care of' by the best mercenaries in the galaxy. Perhaps bringing you back to your home will be a good reminder of why you should be so thankful for all the perks you've had bestowed upon you for so long…" Vido turns to leave as the men step closer to her.

"Vido! I'll see you die for this! Mark my words that your death will be because of me you stupid bastard!" Denarius nudges her in the middle with his shotgun, making her turn to growl at him. "I'll rip off each of your mandibles if you do that again you piece of shit."

"Let's move it Eva, I don't have time for you acting like a whiny bitch." He nudged her again with the butt of his shotgun before pushing Eva out the door of Vido's quarters. She swallows her anger as she glares at the mercs keeping her from the man that was throwing her back into the pits of hell. Rather than trying to go through the four of them, Eva does what she knows best and puts on a knowing smile as she reaches the exit of the ship.

"Y'all are _all_ going to escort me to me new duty station? You don't think that's over kill?" Eva tries to play coy as she takes her first step back onto Omega. Her heart leaps in her throat as she is engulfed with the smell of death and urine again for the first time in over a year.

"You have a reputation for skinning men alive and enjoying every moment of it. We aren't taking any chances." The man with dark black hair says to her as they continue to walk away from the dock. Eva notices that the ship is already preparing for departure, meaning that getting back to Vido and crushing his throat with her bare hands wasn't going to happen in the next few hours like she had initially hoped.

"Every single person I killed was for the greater glory of the Suns, besides I had to do something to get off. If Vido wasn't such a bad lay maybe I wouldn't have so much pent up agression." Eva grunted as one of the human mercs hit her in the gut with the butt of his gun.

"Watch your mouth you bitch, you're lucky he's not just killing you." The batarian grunted as they shoved Eva forward to make her keep walking.

"You call… this luck?" She stammers as she tries to regain her self-control, "I'd hate to see what you… consider a bad day if this is lucky."

"I guess you're cueboning skills aren't all they're cracked up to be. I heard she used to be the best in the galaxy." Denarius told one of the other human members of the group.

"Believe me I still know my way around a cock. Just because Vido's is the size of my pinkie doesn't mean I can't handle a real man." Eva bit her lower lip as she turned to face the turian, "Wanna see for yourself? It's been a long time since I've been allowed to taste a turian. I remember that all too well from my days working here on Omega. It still gets me all wet just thinking about it."

"You aren't seriously thinking about being alone with her? You do know that Vido will kill you if you so much as touch her?" One of the humans trains his weapon on Eva as Denarius looks her up and down.

"I've heard a lot about having a human and Vido is known for his taste for the finer things in the galaxy." The turian growls at Eva as they start towards the transport area, "I'd be happy to see if at least some of what they say about her is true, and if the whore is smart she wouldn't do anything to piss off her boyfriend."

"It has been so long since I've had a good time with anyone besides Vido." Eva bites her bottom lip, looking up at him as she nods her head towards a back alley.

"I think that it's worth the chance. Look at her, she has to be one of the best specimens I've seen of her species." Denarius's mandibles flex, taking in Eva as she bats her emerald eyes at him.

"I'm just got a bad rap from being with Vido." She watches as Denarius decides to throw the gun back into the holster. "I promise I won't say anything if you don't big guy." She grabs his talons as she leads him into a dark alley, leaving the other three mercs to stand at the entrance. Eva walked for a few moments, allowing enough distance to come between herself and the others for what she was about to do.

"I've never had a human before." Denarius's eyes meet her own, making her feel as though she was staring into her own soul for a moment as the contemplated her next actions.

"You were being serious about that? I figured a rugged thing like you would have had his fill." Eva slams his back against the wall, letting a demure smile cross her face, "I better make sure that it's something that you won't soon forget then." She runs her finger against his cowl, letting it linger as she makes her way further down the front of his armor. "I really need to get this off of you, and I get so turned on watching a man take it off… You think you can?"

"I believe I can manage." Denarius starts to work on his armor, losing himself in his angst as Eva slides her blade out of her holster. He bends over for just a moment, exposing the opportunity for Eva to let the knife meet the top of his head. She tightly grips the handle and with one quick motion watches as the body starts to slump over at his knees. Eva moans loudly as his body hits hers, putting on a show for the three men listening at the end of the alley. She waits to feel the remaining life slip out of the turian as she pulls the weapon out of the back of his head.

Eva looks at the knife, seeing the dark blue blood dripping off the end in a slowing rhythmic pattern. She softly runs her finger to the end of the blade, letting a single drop settle onto the tip. She raises it to her eyes and stares intently at small pool of the turian's life giving force sitting on her skin, smiling wickedly as the reflections of neon signs bounce off if it. Eva tilts her head to the side remembers the tingle that she gets from the turian blood, the way it tries to react with her system to cause her a treacherous reaction. The time that she had spent with Vido had taught her a few things about what her personal physiology was able to handle such as small amounts of the toxic blood. She licked the tip of her finger knowing that more than a drop would cause her to crumple over in severe abdominal cramps, but savoring the feeling of the pin pricks that were starting to jump across her pallet.

"Like I said, it's been such a long time since I've tasted a turian." She briefly closes her eyes for a moment, relishing the sensation as well as her first kill on the rock she had once tried so desperately to escape. Eva removed his shotgun from his back, ensuring that the weapon is cocked as she makes her way back down the alley to find the other three men sent to escort her to Tarkan. Before they can react they are laying at her feet, their mixture of blood swirling together on the ground as she wipes the splatter from her face.

"Eva Harper, Cuebone Extraordinaire is back on Omega."

#

Everything that happened over the course of the next year only fueled Eva's decent into the twisted person being watched over by the Blue Suns. Much to the displeasure of some of the higher ranking officers, Vido Santiago demanded that she was allowed to live out her days on Omega, creating the perfect target for the leader's enemies looking to settle an old score with the mercenary legend. The Blue Suns that were assigned to guard her found that it was easier to keep the vixen full of Hallex and whiskey than deal with her homicidal tendencies and temper. This had caused Eva's life had become a drug induced blur interlaced with moments of sobriety, causing her extreme bouts of paranoia that would lead to an untimely death for some poor unsuspecting soul.

Even with the sirens repeated slayings of Blue Sun mercenaries and random visitors, Vido continued to insist that nothing ill happen to the woman. This created an interesting scenario for the mercs that were stationed on Omega. The job was one of honor, and little killing or actual work was required to deal with Eva as long as she was pacified in the normal manners that the Suns had become efficient at providing. The quandary however was when the drugs and alcohol would wear off, letting the villainess show her true form that few living being ever escaped from. It was a gamble for the men, one that most were unwilling to take.

Eventually this cycle led to the transfer of the tall and handsome Sun named Lucas Raycevich to Eva's domain, giving her yet another target for her animosity. In her moments of sobriety, Eva would create an elaborate plan with a weapon hidden in some location in the apartment and a circumstance that would lead to her threating his life at gun point. Somehow Lucas was always able to talk her out of the cat and mouse game, providing her more of the liquor and Hallex concoction that allowed her inner demons to remain inside her delicate looking shell. As this continued for several months, Tarak had made the decision that Lucas would become the main guard for Eva, granting him permission to live in the smaller bedroom of the apartment that had been procured for her.

Eva, enraged at the idea of having her small amount of privacy taken from her grasp, met Lucas with a shotgun in his chest the night he came into her humble abode. He had stood there with the weapon aimed at his heart, smiling at her as he coaxed the gun from her hand and telling her that this arrangement would, in fact, benefit the two of them. It was then that Eva learned the truth about herself, she had come to care for the merc that she had spent so much time plotting to kill. She loathed the fact that she had allowed him to gain such a standing with her, making her become colder and more volatile with him than most people that she would allow in her company. Lucas had become her companion, and nothing scared her more than the feeling of dependence on another living soul again.

#

The second dose of Hallex flowing through her system combined with her third glass of whiskey had made the lights of Afterlife start to blur for Eva. She was out looking for trouble, trying to hold off those inner demons that were beckoning for her to make some poor soul writhe in torment at her mercy. She approached the bar, ordering another glass of alcohol so that she could take her next set of the bright pink pills when she noticed a familiar face, Vanessa Valentine. Eva reached for her blade that was secured on her right thigh under her blue velvet dress, letting the feeling of security touch her with a shudder as she watched the grungy boy vacate the seat next to her.

As usual, Eva was far from alone when she had made her way to the bar. Her guard Lucas was in the shadows somewhere, watching Eva from a distance as he waited for her do what she always does when she was in one of her more adventurous moods. She hated the way that the Sun swoop in and act the part of the hero when she was just getting ready to solidify the mark, he had a way of ruining a wet dream for the woman. She scowled, knowing that if she wanted a moment with V.V. that her time would be short, especially since a key to her being allowed to go to Afterlife was that she would not speak with any of the locals that frequented the place. Eva pushed her intoxicated state away from her conscious mind, moving towards her old pimptress with determination to get a rise from the woman.

"You going to lie around the damn place like a dumb bitch or are you going to look up and face me?" Eva let her voice portray the part of a seductive villainess, something that would sure to shock Vanessa compared to the meek young girl that had last faced her.

"Eva?" Vanessa almost whispered to her as their eyes met for the first time in years.

"No, I'm Mary fucking Poppins. Can't you tell?" Eva purred at her as she slipped into the empty seat beside her, ensuring that she never let her gaze falter from the woman.

Breaking off eye contact with Eva, Vanessa spoke in the same manner she always had, "I didn't expect to be seeing you back here?"

"You think I fucking want to be in this pisshole? Get real V." Eva plucked her drink up from the bar, staring at the whiskey as it swirled in the glass. "I just thought I'd stop and tell you hi, being that we parted on such pleasant terms with one another and all."

"I'm sure that you are aware that it wasn't personal, it was business Eva. I even made sure that you knew our ties were severed."

"Oh I am completely aware. How could I ever forget being that I carry a constant reminder with me everywhere I go?" Eva raised the hem of her dress high enough to allow her blade to catch a beam of light, smiling devilishly as she watch Vanessa take in the weapon that such high symbolic meaning to her.

"Then, I hope that it serves you well. Have you got a name for it?" Her old pimptress seemed to relax at the sight as Eva again concealed the knife.

"It's a knife, why the hell would it need a name?" She almost scoffed at the thought.

"Only important blades are ever bestowed names. And it's important isn't it?"

"I suppose I can think about it." Eva raised her eyebrow as she remembered that this was the same blade that had been shoved through both sides of her chest. If the human saying 'that weapon had your name on it' rang true, then the knife should have carried her own name.

"That's good then. Is there something else you want from me?" A smile crossed Vanessa's face, making Eva feel her own stomach lurch at the thought that the woman was actually enjoying her company. She restrained herself, thinking about grabbing the knife and stabbing it though the middle of the woman while sitting at the bar in Afterlife. She imagined watching V.V. bleed to death as she stood smiling over her, the final image she have to take with her to whatever hell that she was doomed to.

"Not really, I just thought that this _old whore_ could buy her _old boss_ a drink. Let her know that I was around and that nothing you ever did for me was forgotten." Eva gestured towards the bartender, motioning that Vanessa needed a refill of her apple juice that she would pass off to most onlookers as some alcoholic beverage.

"Well, thanks." She gestured a toast to Eva, clinking the two glasses together as she took a single swallow. Eva finished her glass and watched as the bartender quickly replaced the emptied whiskey with a full one.

"So, planning on sticking around Omega?" Vanessa asked her as she continued to remain unnerved by the woman sitting beside her.

"Nothing for you to worry about V." Eva nodded her head at Lucas who was making her way over to where they were quickly. No doubt that the man knew about Vanessa Valentine and who she was attached to on Omega. "I'm not really allowed to play with the locals given my social status with the Suns. Vido doesn't want me severing any ties here that he might find useful later on."

"Vido? Vido Santiago?" Vanessa took a moment as she noticed Lucas making a quick approach to Eva, seeing his Blue Suns armor and letting the name find his place in her mind.

"You know him? I mean I guess I do kinda owe you for introducing me to the greatest love of my life. Let me tell you, _he_ really knows how to treat his women." Eva winks at her as Lucas grabs her arm gently, pulling her aside as he whispers in her ear.

"Time is up with this one, she's a local and you know our deal." Lucas nodded to her as Eva stood.

"Looks like I _have_ to go. Like I said V, I'm not looking to cause you trouble _right_ now, just wanted to let you know that you're still on my mind."

"Good luck Eva. And know that you're still on mine too." Vanessa almost whispered as Lucas had pulled her away from the bar before Eva could finish making an actual threat.

Eva had grabbed her full glass from the bar, grimacing at Lucas as he interrupted before she was allowed to make her point to the woman. She was sure that he knew about their past, it was just job to keep her from making an ass of herself and killing someone that would actually be missed in the grander scheme of things on Omega.

"You just have to find trouble every night don't you?" Lucas muttered, letting go of her arm as he sighed.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Eva asked him as Lucas folded his arms, his bright blue armor with the Suns insignia catching the neon to make it look almost purple.

"No, this is my job. Maybe if you didn't insist on killing every person that mouths off to you…."

"Maybe if they weren't stupid enough to mouth off to me in the first place they'd still be breathing." Eva shrugged her shoulders before sipping her glass of whiskey.

"You act like I like this, like it was my life's dream to sit here and watch you like some spoiled fucking brat." Lucas glares at her, trying to keep himself calm as she banters with him about violating the terms of their agreement.

"Then don't." Eva tips the glass back, taking a mouth full of the sweet liquid. She turns to Lucas and smiles at him, "I can handle myself, I think I've proved that many, many times."

"Fuck you, you know it's not you I'm protecting." Lucas grabs Eva's glass of whiskey from her hand.

"So why don't you just do everyone some huge fucking favor and shoot me point blank in the skull? I'd be a pretty corpse. You can sell me to some sexual pervert who might even get off to the sight of me rotting in between his sheets." She laughs to herself quietly as she pulls her hair to the right side, running her fingers through it.

"E, Vido doesn't want you dead even if you've been killing people since the day you got here." Lucas lifts Eva's glass of whiskey to his lips and proceeds to take a large drink from it. "Otherwise I would have stopped giving a shit a long time ago."

"You think Vido actually gives a damn about doing the right thing?" Eva looks at him coldly as she snatches her drink back from him. "As long as he didn't feel like he was attached to it somehow he'd be fine with it, and you'd be back out there killing people just like you wish you were right now."

"Killing people is _so_ the life I wanted, you're _absolutely_ right. Being beside you for almost a year has just been a living fucking nightmare."

"Then leave you moron, get the fuck away from me." Eva pushes him with one hand as she hides her face from him. She couldn't count how many times she had tried to push him away, only to have him smile at her and stay by her side. As much as Eva hated Lucas, there was some deep care for him, a feeling that wouldn't go away no matter how much she drank or what drugs she'd take.

"I don't see why you have to be such a bitch all the time. Just once I'd like to see you as the person you were before you met him. Like those pictures you keep in your room from the time on the Citadel."

"There's nothing at the fucking Citadel for me!" Eva screams at him, drawing the attention of several people in the area, "Shut your fucking mouth you stupid cunt!"

"Eva, calm the fuck down." Lucas whispers to her, trying to coax her emotions back under control.

"I don't need to calm down." She takes another sip of her whiskey, finishing the glass as she glares at him, "I don't need help from some little boy who ended up on the ass end of the galaxy because he couldn't handle his own B.S. that he was dealt. You sure as hell couldn't hack it, don't expect me to be better than you kid."

"Let me take you home." He holds out his hand for Eva, "I'll get you to bed and you can forget about this night just like all the others."

"You think I believe that any more than the rest of the dribble that comes for your mouth?" She looks up at the six foot tall man for a moment, finally extending her hand to him. Eva hated the fact that when he looked at her with his piercing blue eyes that her heart would leap in a fashion that made her cold façade start to peel away. "Fine."

Lucas opens the door to their apartment, letting Eva pass through before quickly following behind her. Both of the hearts in the room were racing in anticipation, the magnetism was evident in the way the let their eyes meet so many times that night. So many unspoken rules were being broken, rules that had to be followed to the letter should they hope to be allowed to wake up day after day. No one touched what was Vido's, and Eva was his property whether beside him at the moment or not. There were too many lives dependent on the notion of those words to risk it all on one night, both Lucas and Eva knew it.

Unlike most nights, Eva doesn't wait for the door to close before she starts to slip out of her clothes, sliding her bright blue dress off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She takes a step forward, letting her heels click against the floor as she seems to pose in bra and panties. She lets her long blonde hair down, tickling her back as it dangles over her skin for a moment until she tosses it over her shoulder. Eva then reaches her arms up behind her, slowly unclasping her black bra and dropping it on top of the dress that was now nothing more than a crumpled pile behind her.

"E, you okay?" Lucas asks, his voice causing Eva to pause in the middle of the room.

"No… I hate this place, I want to run screaming every time I open my eyes and see that it's not some hallucination from the drugs and alcohol. I fought like hell to leave Omega and look at me…" She spreads her arms out and tilting her head back again, "Back on Omega, as a prisoner in a bigger cell. At least the last time I was here I had a fucking reputation of a whore, now I'm just Vido's other half."

"You aren't really a prisoner, you're treated like a celebrity by anyone in a Sun's uniform." Lucas looked at her, seeing that her skin was riddled with scars. Now they were nothing more than reminders to Eva of the terrible things that Vido had done to her when no one else was around, memories that had made her the heartless bitch she had become. Lucas's eyes studied her skin as she stood there like and indignant martyr when he noticed two matching scars on her shoulders.

"Enjoying the show you fucking pervert?" Eva's words jolted him from his thoughts.

"You're stripping in the living room and I'm the pervert?" Lucas tried not to smile; he wasn't used to seeing Eva let her guard down so much around him.

"Don't act like you haven't seen a naked woman before, it's just another body." She wrapped her arms around her chest as she took another step forward. "What, you've never peeked at me naked before?"

"Not the point Eva, you're naked in the living room." She looked over her shoulder at him.

"So you have peeked at me naked… See anything you like?" Eva smiled as she let her eyes meet his from across the room, drinking him in like a desired play thing that a child wasn't allowed to touch.

"What did he do to you?" Lucas moved his eyes up and down her skin, making her take interest in what he suddenly found so damn fascinating about her as he spoke. It had been so long since she was willing to show her skin to anyone, to trust someone on that level.

"Sorry love, you'll have to me a little more specific about which particular scar is sparking your interest." Lucas slowly moved behind her, gently grazing the scars on her back with his hands from where Vido had used her own knife on her. Eva shuddered, she hadn't been touched since Vido's last visit months ago.

"Here and here, what… is that where…" He quickly pulled away, realizing that Eva was still a huntress, willing to kill him without giving it a second thought should she change her mind about letting him so near her.

"Oh that... Didn't you know that I was once an angel? That's where my wings where until Vido got ahold of me." Eva smiled, "I guess he wanted to make sure that I couldn't fly away from wherever the hell he stuck me. Seems to have worked for the most part doesn't it?" She ran her hands over the skin on her arms, trying to wipe away the goose bumps crawling across her skin as she took a step forward, away from Lucas. "I'm done causing trouble for the night, you can go lock yourself in that room of yours."

"Is that what you want, for me to just go away?" Lucas asked her, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"I don't need a babysitter, I'm just going to bed."

"E, just let me…

"Good night Lucas." The words were flat as Eva turned to face him, her arms crossed across her breasts, "Now get the fuck away from me." She pushed him again with one hand. Lucas took a deep breath, trying to make the words with his mouth as Eva walked over to her bedroom, "Lock yourself in there and don't think of coming out

"Fuck you, I'm not done talking to you yet." Lucas called to her, "I'm not leaving here until you admit that there is something between us Eva."

"Just leave Lucas I don't have time for this piddly crap. I don't feel anything… for anyone."

"What about Matthew, your son?"

"What did you just say?" Eva screamed from her bedroom, "You think you can say my son's name like it's supposed to pull some string in my heart and make me melt? Get the fuck out Lucas before I gut you like I did the last baby sitter who thought he was smarter than me."

"Fuck you Eva, I'm staying right here and you can deal with it." Lucas was standing in the frame of her bedroom door, looking at Eva as she sat naked on the corner of the bed, "I want to help you get all this bullshit behind you and keep you from turning into some masochist."

"The only thing that you will help me do is raise my body count of stupid cunts that I've killed since I've been here. Get the hell out of here." Eva closed her eyes, "Please."

"Eva, I'm not scared of you, you're evil and crazy in so many ways… But I understand."

"No you don't!" Eva grabs a picture of Matthew from her bed side table and holds it in her hand to throw at him, realizing within seconds that it's her son. "I don't want you to; I don't want anyone to understand it."

Lucas kneels down on the floor in front of Eva, "You just need to be reminded that there are people in this life that don't want to just fuck you and leave you. We aren't all trying to add another scar to your skin."

Eva starts to laugh, "What, and let my guard down so in that very moment you can stab me in the back and watch me start to bleed out on the floor in front of you?"

"That's not going to happen." He looks up at her, gently placing his hand on her knee, "You have to start somewhere with someone…"

"You know as well as I do what you're asking for. There will be no normal life, no chance for either of us if…."

"If you would just shut the fuck up I could show you better than fucking telling you about it all night." Lucas traces his hand up the outside of her thigh, "Ready for this?"

"Not in the least."

#

Eva's eyes fluttered as she awoke the next morning, rolling over to a tall blonde man beside her. She blinked in disbelief, trying to shake off the drunken stupor that was clinging to her from the night before. Gingerly Eva moved to the edge of her bed, trying to leave Lucas sleeping as she slipped from the mattress where only hours earlier the atrocity she had been a part of had been committed. She grabbed the blue silk robe that was beside her dresser, feeling the fabric cling to her skin as she wrapped it around her and left the room.

"That's just fan-fucking-tastic." She sat on the plush couch, folding her legs underneath her as new found paranoia made her reach out with the last part of herself she considered human, the love she had for her son. Eva let her head rest on the pillowey cushion behind her, small snippets of drunken actions played on her head making her cringe at the peaks and valleys she had succumbed to with Lucas hours earlier.

"Matthew…" Eva whispered his name out loud for the first time in months as she closed her eyes, somber in her ache for the little boy who meant so much to her. She had stayed with Vido to ensure that nothing would happen to him, condemning herself to a life of sorrow to keep him out of the clutches of a homicidal maniac. Now the hell that she had endured was for nothing because the moment that someone realized that she had slept with Lucas they would all be killed. She clicked a few times on her omni-tool, taking a deep breath as she prepared to tell Tiberius how in danger they actually were.

The moment the call to Tiberius ended she closed her eyes. Eva knew that the words that she needed to speak were never uttered, he was never made aware of the impending doom that was sure to wait him for the actions that she couldn't deny herself. Denial. The word was thick and cloudy as she stumbled across it, making her seethe as it came to make more sense to her. The only thing that remained true in the past few years was her denial. Eva opened her eyes, fire burning them as things became more clear in her mind.

"If I never had a son I wouldn't have been denied…" She whispered to herself, biting her bottom lip till she could taste her own blood being squeezed from the soft pink tissue. Eva shook her head, the thoughts running through her mind were monstrous and there were more pressing issues at hand, issues that had snuck up behind her and placed his callused hands on her shoulders.

"Was that?" Lucas bent down, bestowing a soft kiss on her neck.

"It was Tiberius. He thinks I should come home, leave this wonderful life behind." Eva shrugged her shoulders, causing Lucas to remove his hands and walk to the side of the couch.

"If you leave here Vido will kill you all." His blue eyes meeting hers, causing her to scoff at him as he looked for some deeper understanding he thought the two of them now shared.

"You make it sound like I care. More loose ends, more things that I need to be fucking rid of anyway." Eva put her feet on the floor, breaking her gaze with Lucas as she tried to regain the cold exterior she had allowed to become unraveled. She knew what her next move was, and was biding her time until it was the perfect moment. "Maybe getting my son killed would be a blessing in disguise."

"Did you just say you want your son dead?" Lucas moved to the front of her, standing over Eva as he put his hand on her shoulder, "You don't mean that, no woman wants to see her son die at the hands of a man like Vido."

Eva sat there solemnly, letting the idea continue build in her head. Matthew was the one thing that was keeping her sane, the one thing that was in the way of her enlightenment to becoming the woman she now wanted to be. Moments earlier she had realized that the young soul had been her reason for living in agony the past year and now she knew that he was standing in her way.

She looked up at Lucas, smiling as sweetly as she could manage, watching him drink it in like a red sand addict. He wanted to see her be the soft hearted woman that he truly believed lived in the vessel before him. Eva looked at Lucas, feeling disgusted at herself as she stared at another thing that was in fact a weakness for her. She cared about him, probably even loved him on a level that she didn't want to face because she knew it would cause her to slip back into her stupid naïve self that she squashed so long ago. She glided her hand into the cushion, feeling the Carnifex that she had hidden in one of her more sober moments of planning the Sun's death.

"Thank you for everything Lucas, you reminded me of what was truly important in this fucked up world." Her eyes met his, full of hope and life about a future he would never have.

"You're…" His last word hung in the air as the clip was emptied dead center into the front of his skull. Eva smiled as the faceless body fell to the floor in front of her, blood splatter coating her face and hair. She stood, nudging the body with her foot as it laid before her void of the glow that had made her think that she had cared for the man.

"There is only one thing truly important in life… me." Eva bit her bottom lip, letting it become a smile as she walked back to her room to plot on the most important plan in her life now, how to kill her son.

#

Shortly after the incident with Lucas, another guard who called herself Aeila had been assigned to Eva, causing her to smirk every time the woman escorted her anywhere. She had thought once or twice about killing the Blue Sun, but the mercenary had given her enough room that she was able to quench her desire to see another body don her living room floor. In order to keep her humanity at bay Eva had delved in head first to her duties, killing the scum that would cross her gang with relished glee as chaos caused by Archangel's group consumed the Blue Suns.

"Eva, you're needed at a meeting down in the slums. Tarak asked that you show up in your armor so that the other gangs will know that we mean business. Nothing like having the Black Widow there to make people take notice." Aelia nodded her head as she left Eva's living room to wait for her outside the door.

"Figures." Eva muttered as she obeyed Tarak's order. She wasn't in the mood to defy her leader, the repercussions usually came with his second in command bitching at her for an inundated period of time, and keeping herself from killing the cunt wasn't something she particularly enjoyed.

Once in her armor she met with Aelia who escorted her to a rundown bar at the ass end of the Zeta district. Yelling was the first thing she had heard as she approached the meeting ground for the three gangs, making her assume that the Eclipse and Blood Pack had sent enough of their numbers to ensure that an incident didn't happen to make the three gangs tear into each other.

"This should be fun." Eva smirked upon entering the building, ensuring that her Carnifex was loaded and ready.

"Don't kill anyone Eva, you're here for appearance purposes. If Vido's girlfriend is here they know that we mean business." Aelia whispers to her as she surveys the room. Eva looks at the mercs, assessing the possible damage that she could deal out single handedly should something indeed start to happen when a familiar face caught her attention. She snarled as she let the face find its place in her memory, Kani.

"Ka-" Eva was cut short as the woman yelled her name and made her way to her feet.

"Eva? What the…why are you…" Every pair of eyes on the room focused on the two women in opposite color armor facing one another. Eva lowered her head and raised her eyes as Kani's apparent leader intervened.

"You know this woman, Lotus?" He looked at Eva, giving her a look that made her want to split the horns on his head with her favorite knife she now called Vanessa.

"Lotus? That's what you're calling yourself now?" Eva growled as she focused her eyes back on the woman that had betrayed her so long ago. She watched Kani approach, ready to snap the woman's neck without feeling should she be stupid enough to try anything.

"Never mind me, why are you here with the Blue Suns? What happened to Matthew, Tiberius, and Jen?"

"Don't…. Even…" Eva slid her hand down her armor, feeling the top of her knife as she glared at Kani, "You left us. You have no fucking right to say their names."

"I didn't leave because I wanted to."

"Whatever." She kept herself ready, internally shrieking with desire to flay the woman in the midst of her peers, "Looks to me like you ran off with the Eclipse."

"That's not true." Kani barked back.

"Hey!" Tarak yelled, pointing his finger at the two of them, "we're in the middle of talking raid strategy. Eva, you and this Eclipse broad take it outside." The salarian that Eva had been fantasizing an elaborate death for spoke in agreement with Tarak, giving them both the go ahead to leave their captivated audience and Eva's body guard Aelia inside. The moment they were alone she was ready to pounce on her former lover, shredding her skin with her own two hands and watching this Eclipse merc die at her own two feet. She reigned in her inner psychopath, knowing that a death of a rival gang member at this moment is not what her Blue Suns needed. Eva decided that toying with the small merc's emotions would have to suffice for the time being.

"Eva…" Kani spoke with a tenderness that made Eva cringe, "Look, I'm sorry for disappearing without a word. There were some serious issues I needed to take care of that I should have told you about…"

"Save it Kani." Eva interrupted venomously, "You said you'd be there for me. I trusted you, but in the end you threw me away… Just like everyone else." She felt pain when she spoke to Kani, like disdain continuing to grow in the pit of her stomach as whatever soul she had left longed for the attachment to the person standing in front of her.

"I didn't throw you away, I'm trying to explain to you what happened and why I had to go." Kani again spoke softly to Eva, only making words feel hallow causing the Blue Sun to suddenly snap.

"I needed you and you weren't there!" Eva screamed, letting an emotional side that she had stymied for so long peek through, "First you had to go back to Earth and then you had to join the Eclipse?" She grabbed her anger, trying to swallow it down before she stabbed Kani in her blind rage with the blade that was singing to her from its sheath, "You know… that's the funny lesson in gaining a 'friend'… you can't trust anyone to put you first. You never cared about me, so don't act like now I suddenly matter to you."

"You're not the only one with fucking problems in this hellhole of a galaxy." Anger was dripping off Kani now, feeding the flames of violence that lived inside Eva, "I was there for you when you were new to the Citadel, and I was there during your pregnancy. I was there for you when you gave birth. I was right there, the whole goddamn time, but the instant that I go to deal with my own shit, this is what you think of me? Get the fuck over yourself."

"You know what?" Eva smirked, laughing inside at the Eclipse's ignorant decision to use that pathetic tactic, thinking that the thought of of her son would somehow matter to her at this point. She didn't care about the toddler that was light years away from her, in fact she would have been happier should the little bastard had never been born. Eva barely raised her voice above a whisper, causing her to drag out her next words. "I don't give a shit what your excuses are, what excuses you have, or what led you here. We're finished."

"Fine with me."

"And Kani, fuck you." Eva turned back to the building, her duties calling her away from the stupid bitch whose neck she wanted to break, whose heart she wanted to rip from her chest in a manner that would make men cry in horror. "During this raid, don't expect me to have your back. I'm one of the Blue Suns. You're part of the Eclipse… If you get gunned down I'd be more than happy to watch you die." A smile came across Eva's face as she walked back into the building, leaving Kani behind her as she was left to bask in the emotional spears she had thrown her way.

#

Somehow the name Eva Harper had caught the interest of the Alliance Navy, putting her in an interesting situation when it came to her ongoing lifestyle with the Blue Suns. The proposition was a lucrative one and even for a woman who desired nothing for credits it was hard to say no when staring at the Navy in the face. Eva had agreed to help them by passing along pieces of information about the mercenary group as long as things were handled covertly and quietly, her name never being mentioned in circles that would have inevitably killed. Working with the Alliance was sure to enable Eva the one thing that she needed in order to put her plans in to fruition, a way off of Omega. She had thought long and hard about the supposed deal, coming to terms that it would create the easiest way transition to happen while she maintained her title of the Blue Suns Black Widow. The best of both worlds, what more could she ask for?

Using the proposed code name BRONZED DAEMON had given Eva a laugh, it was almost like they knew how truly unstable she had become during her most recent stay on Omega. Eva didn't give up more than she should in regards to the information that was passed along, it was basic intel that almost any Blue Sun would have access to in concern to where transports would be headed or other quasi-desirable tidbits of data. There were a few particular pieces of information that Eva had been able to scrounge up, including a piece that aided in her more devious nature. Rather than forwarding coordinates to remote smelting plant that Vido Santiago may have taken an interest in on to the Alliance, she put the name Zaeed Massani in the section marked 'to'. She owed Vido for so much pleasure in her life, paying it forward to Zaeed was the least she could do for her more than doting boyfriend.

As well as things had been going for the Black Widow, change was on the horizon for Omega. Archangel's group was being flushed out; his gang of miscreants had been gunned down and killed, leaving just the lone turian to be dealt with. Eva wasn't thrilled about the idea of the assault on the former CSEC officer, the information that she had gathered had inferred that there was more to this story than some pissed of vigilante. Still, she was heading to the front lines for the assault on his base, her deal with the Alliance making her relish in the fact that her plan was becoming closer to being completed.

Throughout Eva's time in making contact with the Alliance it was mentioned to her that there was another double agent that would be in the vicinity during the attack against Archangel, Kani. The last words that she had spoken to the Eclipse merc had been about seeing the woman dying in the attack, something that Eva had vividly imagined with pure enjoyment. She could see it now, the dark hair covering the woman's face, blood pouring from a shot the dumb bitch had taken to the chest, and Eva stomping on her skull with a wicked crack as the idiot merc met her maker. However the most recent transmission that she had received from the Alliance had ruined the new found fantasy for Eva, letting her know that Kani would be the one in radio contact for pick up and should she be silenced in the assault, Eva wouldn't be given transport to the Citadel.

Eva contemplated her supposed agreement with the Navy, trying to persuade herself that getting Kani to the extraction point wasn't letting her live, but that it was damning her to an emotional hell and setting up for something far worse to happen to the dumb whore. An evil grin came across Eva's face as she grabbed her data pad, reveling for a moment that within the past weeks she had become an information broker of sorts when it came to uncovering secrets that would be worth anything.

Kani had mentioned to Eva that she hadn't joined the Eclipse because she wanted to, muttering something about leaving not being her choice as Eva tuned out whatever crap spilled forth from her mouth in the heated argument. A devilish smile came to her as she realized that looking for a way to exploit the woman at any turn possible had given her the name John Covington. Apparently the man had been looking for the flare bartender, contacting the shadow broker for information about the whereabouts on her and offering a hefty sum of credits for the information. She would ensure that Kani made it alive to the Alliance extraction point, so that John Covington would take care of things when her when things were over.

It was zero hour, time for the assault against the vigilante as Eva walked into the area that housed all the needed instruments that were needed to assist in killing the persistent cretin. Keeping herself hidden in the back rooms with the weapons and various tech, she was able to take stock in just how bad the last stand was going to be. She took notice that Tarak had brought his beloved gunship and the Eclipse had packed a few rooms full of various mechs. Eva nodded her head at each respective leader as she passed through, watching as they were ensuring that the last minute details were being flushed out before all hell broke loose.

"Well Fuck." Eva grinned as turned the corner, seeing the latest trio of freelancers make their way into the room with Tarak. She quickly walked the other direction well aware of who had just shown up based on the intel she had extracted in the past few days. Eva was aware that staying off the Commander's radar was sure to be in her own best interest given that she was dressed head to toe in Blue Sun's armor. She hadn't truly believed that the turian on the other side of the bridge was really Garrus Vakarian until that very moment, solidifying the fact that the majority of the mercs in the area were going to be dead within a matter of hours.

The assault against Garrus had started faster than Eva was ready for, the freelancers charging and dying as the deadly sniper picked them off one by one. She laughed when someone screamed out "They're with Archangel!" If only the stupid bastards knew it was Commander Shepard, maybe they wouldn't have been so anxious to get themselves killed. Eva clung to the shadows, knowing that her group would be the last ones to face the firing squad and that the Eclipse were up next.

"Kani…" Eva said her name flatly as she watched the mechs fall to the way side quickly without making a dent in the forces. The Eclipse were gunned down one man after another, a single headshot was all it took for a marksman like Vakarian to kill the rag tag mercenaries that were so far below his skill level.

"Fuck me." She grabbed her Carnifex, running to the barrier where the Eclipse engineers had been. Kani wasn't a fighter, but she wasn't stupid enough to get herself shot in the head. Eva shot in the air, trying to make the charging mercs ignore the fact she had no interest in getting into the building and killing Archangel. At a moment like this Eva was thankful that she wore the helmet that covered her well known face, her reputation would stay intact if she played her cards right. She spotted Kani who crouched behind what was left of a barrier that was blocking and shots that had come her way.

"What the hell? Are you just going to sit back here and hide like a little girl?" Eva took cover beside her, covering Kani so that she could ensure that the Alliance would be there for pick up. It was nothing more than a deal that had made her run out to aid the pussy of a merc. Even now Eva was still secretly hoping to watch the cunt take a bullet to the head, whatever attachment to the petite woman she had before was still dead like the corpses littering the ground around them.

"Shut the fuck up. Alice won't be here for another hour and I'm trying to keep my own ass safe." Eva grimaced at Kani as she spoke. The dumb whore wasn't trying anything, she was hiding like a scared little bitch and Eva knew it. "Eclipse got me off Beckenstein to be their bartender. I'm not supposed to be doing this combat shit." Eva played the part of ignorant when she mentioned her past, not letting on that she had done her research and ensured that Kani's future was going to be so much worse that this little event.

"What the fuck were you doing on Beckenstein in the first place?" Eva fired shots at both the Vorcha and Blood pack that were quickly heading for Shepard, "And you can barely shoot a simple hand gun straight and thought for some reason you should join the damn Eclipse?"

"I'm not getting into this with you right now." Kani sounded snappy as Eva continued to work, making her lust for death scream inside her head to put the barrel of her gun to her temple and pull the trigger. "And what the hell are you doing firing shots at the mercs? They're going to think that we are working for Archangel."

"Guess what genius? We kinda are. Alice had me gathering intel, so I found something too good to be true. I didn't believe it until I saw Shepard myself before this shit storm started… Archangel is Garrus Vakarian and those freelancers helping him? Well personally I thought that the N7 insignia gave it away. The fucking bitch Shepard is alive and here." Before Eva could say another word to Kani a huge explosion swept them off their feet, throwing the duo back and making Eva scream out. She hit the ground with a quick smack, rolling back to her feet like she had done this a million times before.

"Fucking hell!" Eva looked at Kani who was grabbing her side as she made her way to the tunnels over to the left of them. She popped a fresh clip in her weapon, growling as she rushed to follow her. Eva knew that her deal with the Alliance included pick up as long as Kani was alive, and the stupid whore was already taking off on her. Eva sprinted, getting right on her heals when she saw a charging krogan from the Bloodpack aiming his bloodlust at Kani.

"Stupid bitch." Eva whispered as she rolled to the side and out of the way as Kani tried to fire shot after shot at the pissed off alien. Most of the shots from her Phalanx missed the enraged krogan completely but gave Eva an opportunity to start taking point blank shots at him as Kani made it out of the way. He growled as he was able to get close enough to her, making her wear a smile as she played out the ending of the battle in her head, her standing on some dead krogan was just about as wicked as it could get in her mind. A whistle called out, distracting the krogan and making him turn his head in the direction of Kani who threw a soldering iron at the brow of the beast. Eva was then able to crush the throat of the krogan, smirking as he toppled to the ground without a breath left in his body.

"I don't need your help…" Eva growled as she snapped her neck before continuing with Kani into the tunnels. "So don't expect the same from me. I meant what I said before about…"

"All right, I get it. You'd stomp over my dead body without second thought. Just stop yapping if we are both headed in the same direction." Eva took a deep breath, telling herself that under different circumstances Kani would be screaming her name, begging for a swift death.

"Fuck you." Eva said, reloading her weapon and pointing it at the back of Kani's head as she moved in front of her.

"Been there done that." The woman's response made Eva lower the weapon, she wanted to see her brains splatter against the wall of the tunnel, but needed her alive for the time being.

"Argh! God!" Eva spat through gritted teeth as she moved past her, not wanting the weak Kani to get pummeled by someone who had managed to get the jump on them. The next hour was living hell for Eva as several opportunities for her to kill the dumb bitch beside her presented themselves and she had to continue to ensure her survival. She reeled in inner torment at the fact she had an obligation to ensure that the woman was delivered with a breath still in her chest, wanted nothing more than to fulfill her fantasy or curb stomping the woman. The two worked together, avoiding the Eclipse and Blue Suns as they made it to Gozu District shops for pick up on the Blackbird.

Eva watched Kani collapse as the got on the ship, taking her seat across from the Alliance personnel that looked at her with disdain. She tossed her gun on the floor, and put her hands up, not wanting to die on a ship before finishing what she had started this entire debacle for. Eva grinned, letting her eyes fall on Kani as she thought about the fate that awaited this pain in her ass. John had made contact with her information agent the day before, letting her know that he would take care of his loose ends as soon as this whole ordeal was over. She smiled as she closed her eyes and sank back into the seat, now she just had to make it to the Citadel.

#

Getting back to the Citadel without being noticed had been way to easy for the Alliance, much to the enjoyment of Eva. She brushed her hands against her short black skirt as she stood to leave the transport hub, CSEC keeping a close eye on her as she walked the opposite direction. Eva wore a coy smile, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders and cascading against her green blouse. Those that had passed her by nodded in adoration, her façade of a bubbly blonde oozing from every pore of her body making her seem as though she was the embodiment of perfection as she walked. She came to the front of Gaither Blade and Bling, standing there for a moment before being noticed.

"Eva." Tiberius let his eyes fall on her, nodding his head subtly.

"Tiby." Eva continued to fake her emotions, doing what she had to in order to be brought back into the fold with her old family. "It's good to see you again." She screamed as the man moved closer to her, embracing her like she was supposed to give a damn about him. Eva took a deep breath, letting her body press against him to indicate that she was actually happy to see the man again. "I didn't think it would take me so long to get here, I'm sorry for that."

"The important thing is that you're back. And I'm sure that Matthew and Jen will be thrilled to see you again." Bile rose in the back of Eva's throat, making her touch her lips with her fingers. She was excited to see her son again, but not for the reasons that Tiberius believed.

"Come on," He gingerly rubbed her back, grazing one of the scars where Vido had slipped Vanessa into her chest and making her feel even more on edge, "I'm sure there's gonna be some good food waiting. We got sushi from Matoi believe it or not."

"That sounds perfect." Eva tries to smile, feeling herself preforming the part of his beloved Eva with such ease. He drapes his arm around her as they head for a public transport hub, making her take note of the patrons who are in the nearby area. It had been so long since people weren't afraid to let their eyes wonder on her skin, it was almost refreshing to be so unknown again. They sat in silence, neither one asking the questions about the other's dealings for the past year, letting a comfortable silence develop between them as they reached his apartment.

The door opened to his mediocre dwelling, making Eva momentarily scoff at the surroundings she had found herself thrown into. Tiberius had allowed her to walk in first, the smell of familiarity pawing at her past memories of the four of them living together.

"Eva!" Jen exclaimed as she came into view, "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Jen." Eva nodded her head, hoping to avoid the woman's clutches as she was enveloped into another embrace. Internally Eva grimaced; the rampant display of affection was causing her to plot the death of everyone in the room, something she hadn't wanted for the couple.

"I'm sure Matthew will just go nuts when he hears your voice." Jen released her from her hug, letting Eva toss her hair back over her shoulder.

"Where is my little monster?" She asked sweetly, no hint of malice in her voice.


	26. Randall Jacobs 3: Fly Too High

**Randall Jacobs 3: Fly Too High**

**Written and submitted by Rockycombo**

RJ runs his free hand through his thick, unaltered hair as he walks, the other being occupied with its fingers intertwined with Ress'. The quarian was moving basically hip to hip with him, allowing him to watch over her and return any glares thrown in her direction with intense vigor. RJ definitely wasn't the biggest guy around, but the threat gleaming in his eyes was enough to ward off any aggressors from the gray suited woman more often than not.

"You doing alright?" Ress asks as he fixes a fiery glare on a passing batarian whose eyes had squinted when he saw the couple. "You seem more upset than usual at the men checking me out."

Much to the quarian's satisfaction, RJ's lips curl into a smirk. The feeling doesn't last long, though. The smile quickly dissipates while straightens out his dark green hoodie. "We set aside a whole week to give the money we get from music purchases to the Alliance. To fight the fucking _Reapers._ And what happens?"

Ress sighs when she hears him start this again. He had been talking about this all week, and she had hoped that when the timeframe ended, he would drop it. There was no such luck. "There are less downloads than usual," she predicts quietly.

"There are _less_ downloads than usual!" RJ exclaims, much more strongly than her. It's Ress' turn to smirk as the two of them round the corner and catch sight of the back door to Afterlife VIP. "So I'm pretty much pissed at anybody who's not us."

"What about Jollin?" she poked, bumping her hips against his playfully.

"Please don't remind me," RJ groans as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "That argument wasn't exactly pleasant. I still can't believe he doesn't think we make enough already."

"Well, I know we make enough to get drunk," she countered. Despite RJ's best efforts, he couldn't help but be cheered up at least a little bit by Ress. He tries his best to hide it as she continues. "Look, Afterlife's right over there. Let's go blow off some steam."

RJ sighs as if he's legitimately debating it. "Yea, sure," he agrees with mock exasperation that was easier to fake than he thought it would be, casting a wink over at her.

She grins beneath her mask in triumph as she pulls on his hand and leads him in the direction. Despite all of RJ's opposition, real and not, their arms were slack. He followed willingly; she didn't have to drag him.

The doorman didn't seem to be too happy to see her, and RJ was just about ready to punch him in his pretty little nose. "Sorry, lady, but _you_ can't-"

"Jaruut," she practically sings at him, finally causing RJ to crack his lips in a real smile. The doorman grumbles at the password as he steps out of the way, and RJ has to work to keep his tongue in his mouth as they pass.

"You're so cute when you do that," RJ compliments softly as Ress continues her cheerful march with him in tow.

"Am not," she argues, and RJ is positive she's biting her lip under her mask.

"You can't deny it," he pokes back; his mood improved enough to let the look they got from one of the turian bouncers slide. Besides, outside of a few of the employees, nobody minded Ress once she was actually inside the VIP area. It wasn't exactly like one could sneak in, and the consequences for doing so usually deterred anyone who could manage it.

"I'll admit it as soon as you tell me what your issue is with all of this less downloads business," she returns as she glides through the crowd, her instincts from the fleet kicking in. RJ compared it to his friends who had grown up in a city back on earth; they could navigate through groups of people efficiently and smoothly. All he had to do was hold onto her hand and follow in her wake as she made her way straight towards the bar.

"I don't know, I just want to feel like I'm doing something to help," he answers with a mild sigh. "Nothing we try seems to be worth all that much."

Ress stops in the middle of the club, spinning in place and coming face to face with RJ. "At least you're doing something at all. You of all people should see that we're doing more than most," she says almost as if she's scolding him as she makes unfaltering eye contact.

"Not as much as Commander Shepard," RJ grumbles, casting his gaze down to the floor.

Shepard had basically become RJ's role model after he attended her funeral a little more than two years ago. The band did more events and charity performances than he ever thought they would. The only person who wasn't exactly happy about that was Jollin, but he still made do. It was tons better than earth.

"Well, we can't all be her," Ress persists as she puts a finger under his chin and lifts. "I'm fairly certain only Commander Shepard can live up to Commander Shepard's status," she adds with a warm smile after meeting his eyes again.

RJ returns the expression before leaning forward and lovingly pressing his forehead against where hers would be through the glass faceplate. A few asari give them a strange look, but the couple doesn't care. "Thanks," he mumbles, raising a hand to ghost over her neck.

"Of course," she returns, her own head tilting forward slightly from her blush. "Now come on, first round's on me," she continues as she turns back around and starts back towards the bar.

"_First_ round?" RJ asks sarcastically as he follows right after her, squeezing her hand. "This whole thing was your idea. I thought you were paying for it all."

"Oh hush. Our credits are practically a joint fund at this point," she pokes back. And it was true, too. Their relationship had jumped straight into the fast lane after RJ broke up with Kacie, and within two months Ress had moved in with him. And with the decent flow of income from their music downloads and concerts played, money wasn't an issue for either of them. They were practically inseparable, hell, they even took self-defense lessons together. It was fairly necessary on Omega. Most of the time you couldn't even trust the bodyguards.

"Fair enough," RJ returns with a smirk. His lips rapidly straighten though, and his eyes skew into a look of confusion when he sees the bar. "Is that a new bartender? She's pretty good."

"What do you mean by new, exactly?" Ress asks with a huff. "We haven't been here and been able to drink in months."

"If only Wrok shared his secrets," RJ counters with a laugh. "I still don't know how he can drink and play at the same time."

Ress starts to giggle, covering the vocalizer on her mask with her hand. That was a habit she had picked up from their newest bandmate, Aleerah. Ress did make the act much more feminine though; Ally was the butchest asari any of them had ever met. She reminded RJ of a girl from his class when he was seventeen who was the biggest tomboy. Ever. She had made Kacie look girly. Wrok loved Ally, he was actually the one who suggested her for the band; but Jollin didn't know what to think of her after basically only knowing Lee. RJ had grown to like her, and Ress practically fawned over her. There weren't many people she _didn't _act like that towards, though. Although picking up a mannerism was a first, even if it wasn't for the same purpose as Ally of hiding the fact she was giggling.

Ally also happened to be the reason Ress was currently laughing. "Too bad Ally didn't believe us about his exclusivity."

"Too bad?" RJ laughs with mock surprise. "That was probably the third best night of my life."

"Third best?" Ress questions curiously, gesturing for a couple of drinks. The 'new' bartender was occupied with her flair routine, so they got one of the standard guys.

"Well, yea. The best was when we first came and played on Omega. And the second was when we...'linked suit environments,'" he explains casually, raising his newfound glass to his mouth.

RJ instantly feels his girlfriend's grip on his hand tighten to a near painful level. She didn't turn to face him, but he knew from experience that she was definitely blushing now. The fact that she was entirely focused on filtering her drink was pretty large tip off. "It hasn't even resulted in any significant occurrences yet," she whispers back as professionally as she can manage.. As much of a whisper one could pull off in a club, anyway.

It was true, all she had done was expose herself to some of his clothes and other possessions in a clean room by herself. "It's the prospect that entices me," RJ returns coyly with big words of his own. "I'd imagine my penultimate ultimate day will change when our efforts come to fruition."

"I love it when you talk dirty," Ress teases with a snarky grin, finally finishing sanitizing her drink and taking a sip. She made a point to slurp as loud as she could, causing RJ to smirk wickedly and lick at his lips.

"Tell your immune system to hurry up with its adjusting," he jokes with half seriousness before he downs the rest of his drink and takes a slow step even closer to her.

"Oh, get a room," a gruff asari voice comes from behind them before the owner leans up on the bar next to RJ.

"We've got a few, which one should we use?" Ress counters without so much as blink, turning towards the deep azure asari that she clearly recognized who was in a low cut, black tank top and tight-fitting pants. A collection of dark bracelets adorned the asari's wrists, and a belt hung loosely from her waist.

"You don't have much room to talk, Ally," RJ adds equally as casually, glancing over at their friend to gauge her reaction. "I saw how you were talking to Jollin the other day."

"Aww, fuck off," Ally grumbles, running a hand over her fringe before she motions at the bartender for a drink. "I don't even like salarian cock. Too slimy."

RJ has to force himself to keep a straight face at that one. "And that was too much information," Ress groans, shivering slightly against him.

"So I'm guessing you don't even want to know about vorcha," Ally deadpans in a flawless monotone, taking her newly arrived beverage and gulping down a quarter of the bright blue liquid.

"No," both RJ and Ress respond grimly at the same time in a deathly flat voice. They earn a dark laugh from Ally in return.

"Seriously, is there anything you haven't been with?" RJ questions, instantly cursing his curiosity in his mind. He didn't need to know what he had asked, but he couldn't help himself.

Ally's gaze finds the ceiling as she takes a few moments to think. "Volus and drell, but that's only because I can't find any."

"You must not be looking very hard if you can't find a volus," Ress pokes. RJ snickers, but at the same time draws Ress a bit closer to him in protection. Ally wasn't exactly known for keeping a level head; which was actually probably why she got along with Wrok so well.

Fortunately, she held it together without an issue. "Bitch, please. I could get any volus I want. I just don't want."

"Nobody's blaming you," RJ laughs, looking around to see if any of the plump little guys were around. That would have made it even better, but there was no such luck. "So what are you doing here?"

One of Ally's eyebrows rose quizzically. "You kidding, RJ? I'm here all the time. I should be asking you two that question."

"Eh, fair enough," RJ concedes, waving the bartender back over for another round of drinks. "So are you going to drink with us or what?"

"Nah, I just thought I'd come see you guys real quick. I've got a couple people who are waiting for me over there," she answers, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder. RJ and Ress look where she pointed to find Jollin and Wrok sitting around a small table, talking and laughing.

"Very funny," Ress replies sarcastically as she turns back to face Ally.

"I thought so," she returns happily, finally cracking a grin. "So yea, we're over there when you finish your over the clothes action," she throws in with a chuckle, pushing off the bar and strolling back towards the rest of the band.

"Well, you heard the lady. Where were we?" RJ says as he turns back to Ress, making sure to be loud enough for Ally to hear. He can practically hear the asari's eye roll.

"I think we should listen to Ally and wait until we can get to our room," Ress tells him, squeezing his hand before starting to follow after Ally. "Come on."

"But Jollin's over there," RJ whines playfully, holding his position and tugging gently on her arm.

"Getting drunk will make it easier to talk it out," she persists, pulling on his arm harder. He relinquishes his opposition with a dramatic moan, letting his head hang low as he follows after her.

"I better be getting some amazing sex for this."

"I can help you with that if she doesn't cooperate," a new voice sang happily, sliding up with her back against the bar and stopping them before they got too far away. The owner of said voice was wearing a sleeveless top, heavily decorated with flowing designs of silver and black, as well as a pair of narrow gray slacks.

He grins wickedly over at her, turning around and brushing off Ress' subtle pout. "Hey, V. Been a while," he greets cheerily, bumping his shoulder against the newly arrived Vanessa Valentine. Despite the woman's reputation, she and RJ had actually managed to meet on terms that weren't about 'business.' Seeing as how RJ had had a girlfriend the entire time he'd lived on Omega, he hadn't exactly needed her services. He had grown to be good friends with Vanessa, almost entirely through seeing her at Afterlife. Ress wasn't exactly happy about, even with RJ's assurances that her friendliness was purely platonic. But then again, Ress didn't really like it when he talked to any girl who was anything more than professional with him. She could put up with it most of the time if RJ made sure to stay in her sight, but Vanessa pushed her limits for reasons he had no idea about.

"Hello, Miss Valentine," Ress also greets, but not quite as happily as RJ. It sounded pleasant enough, but compared to Ress' general enthusiastic introductions, it was a bit lacking.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Vanessa asks, displaying a dazzling smile for the quarian as she orders her usual apple juice.

"The same thing I told you about offering things to RJ," she replies. Again, it wasn't exactly said in malice, it might have even been able to be taken as a joke. But just the fact that it wasn't chipper or bright put RJ off. He looked over at her and began arguing silently. He shifted his eyes toward the table with their friends. She raised an eyebrow at him; luckily something only he and a few others could read consistently. He protruded his lower lip in a pitiful frown. She raised her nose. He squeezed her hand, making it more drawn out and softer than usual.

That all happened in the course of a few moments, before Vanessa could respond. "I think I'll head over there," she relented with a point, pretending as if she were talking to RJ. "It was nice to see you."

"You...too?" Vanessa responds somewhat confusedly, waiting until Ress is out of earshot before continuing. "What was that all about?"

"Got me," RJ answers with a shrug, leaning against the bar casually. Vanessa was about the only person beside Ress that he could talk to easily regardless of topic. RJ had decided it was because of their closeness in age along with the fact that she wasn't in the group of people he immediately surrounded himself with. "She doesn't seem to like you for some reason."

Vanessa's features twist into an expression of skepticism. "What? I haven't even done anything," she insists as she innocently sips from her juice held in both hands.

"I know!" RJ exclaims as he throws a hand up, relieved that at least somebody is on his side in the argument. "I try to tell her that, but she won't listen."

"Maybe she's jealous of me," Vanessa suggests cheekily as she subtly flips her hair.

"Oh, shut up," he orders with absolutely no force, smirking over at her. Of course she would go there. She sticks her tongue out at him, which he pointedly ignores. "By the way, is that a new bartender?" he questions, referring to the flair bartender still twirling glasses and containers in every direction.

"Sort of, she's been here for a little while," she answers with a mild shrug. "She's really good, you should go say hi."

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for that...yet," he replies, taking a gulp from his drink.

"I don't mean like that!" she exclaims in exasperation, throwing her head back.

"Aren't you the pimp? What other way can you mean?"

"I hate you," she grumbles into her own beverage. RJ only laughs happily in response; pushing her buttons was always rewarding. She hums into her drink suddenly, remembering her excuse for coming over. "When are you guys performing here again? I want to set up some more advertising; you don't get all that much outside of your own site."

RJ counts off days on his fingers, mumbling to himself. "We've got another gig here in four or five days, I think. I'll have to check the site," he adds in sarcastically, failing miserably at hiding another smirk from her.

"I'll check it too, and remind you in a few days," she snarks back without missing a beat. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your guys. Good to see you!" she says as she steps away from the bar.

"Whoa, where are you off to?" he calls after her. He was fairly certain she had something about bringing his friends last time they talked, and he straightens his posture in case he needed to run after her.

It turned out he didn't need to though, she spins back around in place before getting too far. "Back to my table?" she responds as if asking for permission. "Why?"

"Oh, ok. I just thought it might be lonely over there, and, y'know, my table's pretty full," he says in mock timidness, jerking his head towards the table full of his band. He didn't even need to look to know a certain quarian was probably casting glances over at him. "But if you want to go sit all by yourself..."

"Not really," she admits, stepping back over to the bar. No reaction, so copying her wasn't a good way to get her riled up. He stored that away as she continued. "But..."

RJ finishes her sentence for her after she trails off. "Ress is over there?" She answers with a solid nod, fiddling with the rim of her glass. "Well, then you can sit on the other side of the table," he adds casually, doing his best to assure her that it would be no big deal through his tone.

"Am I allowed to use biotics if things get out of hand?" she asks, almost as if she meant it seriously.

He smirks over at her, and discreetly pokes her in the ribs, receiving a light glare for his effort. "Only if you want an angry krogan sicced on you too," he reminds as he raises his glass to his lips.

"Ah, good point. I prefer to keep krogan under me."

RJ suddenly chokes on his drink, sputtering into the rich brown liquid with force. He tries to hide his laughter, he really does, but there was just no hope. She stares at him in mild concern for a moment before her eyes bug out in realization. "For the love of- not like that!"

"I didn't say _anything_," he gasps out through ragged breaths, remnants from his laugh still fighting their way through. "So what are your preferences with asari?"

"I'm going to go sit at my own table," she threatens in frustration, her voice practically a growl as her shoulders hunch up for seclusion.

"Oh come on, I was kidding," RJ finally relents, tilting his head to the side as an attempt to gain pity. "Shouldn't you be used to it anyway, being the pimp and all?"

"Not when it's about my own life," she explains, obviously cooling down. Her tone was softer and her posture went more relaxed.

"I suppose that's fair," he admits, glad to see her body relax even more at his letting up. "I'll make sure not to bring it up with the guys," he adds with a warm smile, gesturing for her to head over to the band's table. It would be easier on Ress if they arrived at different times. He ordered another round of drinks for their group before following Vanessa, grabbing a pair for Ress and himself separately.

Vanessa's voice was the first he could make out "...no, Wrok. I'm not here to talk business."

RJ grins subtly as he takes the seat to his girlfriend's left, putting the dextro drink down in front of her before lovingly placing his hand on her knee. Wrok was to RJ's right, and Vanessa was directly across from the guitarist. She was sitting between Jollin and Ally, who were both hiding amused expressions of their own.

"I need to tell you," the krogan persists. He would never readily take no for an answer. Ress rolled her eyes after making sure Wrok couldn't see before she shifted her seat closer to RJ and made their legs touch beneath the table. "The last woman you set up for me, she was-"

"Look, I'm not talking about it now," Vanessa insists. Wrok's expression twists into a mixture of anger and confusion. For a short, squishy, human woman, Vanessa had quite the quad.

"I'd listen to her, big guy," Jollin suggests as he leans back in his chair, already accepting the spectacle as over.. "She might cut you off entirely."

"She wouldn't dare," Wrok hisses, glaring at Vanessa as if she was the one who had said it.

"You really think so?" she returns as she leans forward in her seat. Wrok matches her move for move, down to the narrowing eyes, but she was unfazed. The staring contest went on for all of five seconds before RJ snickered. Loudly.

Wrok rotates to face him, his face barely softening at all. "What?"

Jollin has to contain a laugh at Wrok's fierceness. It was pretty common knowledge among them that Wrok wouldn't even consider hurting any member of the Dissenters without extreme provocation. Much more extreme than a single threat relating to women. He was probably putting up an act to look tough in front of Vanessa, which was oddly endearing. "Nothing," RJ answers calmly. "Just remembering something V said."

Vanessa's eyelids fly open and panic emanates from her posture. "And that is?" Ally asks, clearly intrigued by this new development.

"I can't tell you, I'm sworn to secrecy," he returns cheekily, grinning at the asari gleefully. She grumbles a few curses under her breath as Vanessa flops back in relief. But all eyes move to Ress as she clears her throat conspicuously, looking over at RJ with suspicion. And in the next instant, everybody's pupils shifted to RJ to see how he'd respond. "Well, I can tell _you_," he says sweetly as a reply to her unvoiced question in a way that he was sure would make everyone else inwardly groan.. "Later," he adds, massaging her leg reassuringly. She relaxes at his rapidness and openness in responding. Vanessa has the opposite reaction though, and RJ casts an apologetic shrug and grin combo at her after her quiet sigh.

"Let's just move on," Vanessa throws out, somehow sounding forceful and like she's pleading at the same time. Jollin glances over at RJ with a look that says _Really? You can't tell _me? But a glance was all it was, and it was gone as soon as it came. It was there long enough for RJ to see though, and to remind him that he needed to talk to Jollin. And not about their sex lives.

"So you're the pimp here?" Ally questions, glad to take the reins on the conversation. "Wrok's been holding out on telling me."

The krogan lets out a guttural growl. He had told RJ: there was a reason he hadn't told Ally about someone who could get her people to sleep with. But there wasn't much he could do in the situation now. RJ punches Wrok in the arm as Vanessa answers cheerily, and the krogan instantly goes into a silent tantrum. "Sure am."

"I'm imagining you stay busy on a place like this," Ally returns. Ress turns to RJ and raises her eyebrows at him, almost as if accusing him of being involved in that service. He puts his free hand over his heart and staggers back as much as he can while sitting down. She swats at his leg, but he tenderly catches it with the hand that's already on hers. RJ grins at her devilishly when she doesn't struggle, and she has to quickly turn her head to make sure he doesn't see her own smile.

"You don't know the half of it," Vanessa laughs, tucking some of her hair behind her ears. "What about you? I know RJ and Ress, and of course Wrok, but I haven't really had a chance to meet you." The couple return back to reality at their names, suddenly paying rapt attention to the conversation again.

"There's not much to tell, at least not when meeting new people," Ally answers with a shrug.

She wasn't being evasive, just most of her life was too dark and personal to talk about casually. It had taken Ress herself a few months to coax the asari's life story out.

"Well, how did you join the band?" Vanessa continues, taking a different branch in the conversation. RJ was glad he didn't have to break out the 'abort' gesture. Or the 'abandon ship' one. He was still trying to work out a gesture for 'nice knowing you,' but luckily the situation didn't call for that either.

"Me and Wrok met a couple years ago, after he and these guys played some dump a few hours from here. He mistook me for somebody else he had...ordered, I guess. I hadn't been laid for a few days, so I figured 'fuck it.'"

"Literally," Jollin whispers to Vanessa, causing her to cover her mouth to hide a else heard, but RJ whispered the same word to Ress at nearly the same time. The quarian's reaction was just better hid beneath her helmet.

"Har har. Anyways, when I told him to call me, I think he finally figured I wasn't who he thought I was. Funny enough, he actually _did_ call me. We stayed in touch and got to know each other. So he knew about my music, and when that Kacie chick left and they needed someone to replace her, RJ called me from Wrok's suggestion."

"See what my job can do!" Vanessa announces proudly to nobody in particular. "I bring people together!"

RJ and Jollin cast a glance at each other. "...literally," they say at the same time before laughing quietly. Ress and Vanessa only roll their eyes. Maybe working things out with Jollin wouldn't be so bad.

RJ didn't know how he ended up at the bar. He could remember Ally's request (if it could be called that) for drinks and the group's general agreement, and then next thing he knew he was standing across the counter from a wiry little girl in a red jacket who had called herself Lotus. RJ knew he had introduced himself as well, but he couldn't remember that part either. He had been mesmerized by her flair performance, and in his drunken haze, containers seemed to straight up appear and disappear before his own very glazed over eyes. But he was here now, and he had managed to recall why he came. "Can we get some more drinks?" he slurs, putting in his best effort to sound at least somewhat coherent.

Lotus raises an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "You don't think you've had enough?" she asks.

"Not blacked out yet," he answers, nodding his head sagely. He tries to wink, but ends up awkwardly blinking a few times instead. "Plus, Wrok's over there."

"And Wrok is?" she questions with mild curiosity. The fact that she wouldn't know Wrok completely flew over RJ's head.

"Uh, he's our bassist," he returns like it's common knowledge, rolling his eyes at her apparent ignorance.

"I don't see how that-"

"Krogan."

"Oh, maybe you should have sent him over instead," she snarks back. Maybe she wanted to play too, maybe she just thought RJ was being a jerk.

It falls a bit flat on him regardless. He's not really in a state to picking up more subtle meanings. Or read them correctly even if he could pick them up. "That's what I was telling them! But Jollin said he wasn't allowed."

"I'm not even going to ask who Jollin is," she tells him, probably hoping that'll he'll just stop and go back to his table.

There was no such luck. "Good. He's been a total ass lately. I mean, he's like my oldest friend, but he's changed. It used to be about the music, but now it's all for the money. He was the only one to...not...like...the week we did to donate to the Alliance so they could fight the Reapers better, and-"

Lotus, who had obviously (to everybody but RJ) not been paying attention to him at all, finally glanced up from her drink mixing. "Wait, what was that?" she interrupts.

RJ's train of thought goes completely off the rails. He stares at her with wide eyes for a few moments, confused as to where to go next. "Jollin's an ass?" he restates lamely, earning a groan from the exasperated bartender.

"Not about your friend, about the Reapers!"

"Oh!" RJ exclaims, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the bar. "See, we did this thingy for a whole week where we gave our proceeds to the Alliance. The point was to help fight the Reapers, y'know, since Commander Shepard told everybody about them. She was with the Alliance, so we figured that would be the best place to give help to," he rants, hand gestures going wild as he tells the story.

He goes still when she ominously places a hand on his arm, though. Still and silent. "Sorry to tell you," she cuts in, and she does genuinely sound sorry too. "But the Alliance isn't doing shit to fight the Reapers."

RJ narrows his eyes and stares back, evaluating her honesty. He's not exactly at his full capability for that task, but he could tell this Lotus lady was telling him the truth. "What do you mean?" RJ asks timidly as he defensively crosses his arms on the counter's surface. Even if it was truth, he wasn't going to accept this turn of events lying down.

Lotus sighs, whether from sympathy or annoyance RJ couldn't tell. "Ever since Shepard died, the Council's been keeping all that she unsurfaced under wraps. Dismissing all of her claims as delusions from stress or some other BS. And that extends to the Alliance, too. They're literally doing just about nothing to fight the Reapers, and even most of their efforts against the Collectors are half assed."

RJ stares blankly for a few seconds, his processing cycle taking a bit longer than usual. "So...all that money..."

"Probably went to line some general's pocket," Lotus finishes for him, releasing her gentle grip on his arm to return to making drinks.

They stand like that for a quite some time; what felt like half an hour in RJ's purple haze. It couldn't be true. He was already upset with how little they had done, that it had done even less than he thought crushed him. "How do you know all this?" he questions, clinging desperately to any hope that Lotus is lying. Or making a joke. Any slight chance that all of his work to make money and the resulting stress on relationships was for something worthwhile.

"I know people who know the Alliance," she explains vaguely. "One of them's at your table, actually. I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned it."

"Don't usually talk about this," he mumbles at a volume barely loud enough for Lotus to hear. RJ had quickly shifted down to depressed drunk, and a subtle pout had settled in on his lips. He lowered his head to rest his chin on the backs of his hands. He didn't feel like doing much of anything after this news. "Drinks help. Can we get some more of those?"

Lotus offers him a small, apologetic smile. "Sure. It's on the house," she responds as she motions for one of the other bartenders to come over and assist her.

"Thanks," he grumbles under his breath. It was more out of habit than genuinely meaning it; and even that was forced. He watched the platter come, but still didn't move from his spot at the bar. What was the point? What would come from passing out in some club? Despite hating the thoughts that were running through his head, he couldn't justify changing them. Lotus became distracted with something else for a little while, but quickly came back and found him sitting in place sullenly.

"You alright there?" she asks him as she continues about her general tasks.

"Not really," RJ says with a shake of his head. No point starting to lie now. "You believe Shepard about the Reapers, right?"

"I don't go announcing it from the rooftops, but yes."

"So what do you do about it?" he asks. And he's not really sure _why_ he asks. Maybe sharing his own questions and thoughts could help him work through them. Maybe he was getting back at her for sharing the information that all but shattered him. Maybe misery just loved company.

Lotus seems caught off guard by the question. The containers in her hands freeze, and she stares off into space as she thinks. RJ waits patiently, it's not like he has anything better to do anyway at that point. "In all honesty, I don't know if I'm going to make it to see their arrival," she says in a quiet tone. "But I was there when the Citadel was attacked. I know what I saw. And all I can do right now is hope that the rest of the galaxy gets their heads out of their asses to save themselves."

A silent nod is the only response RJ gives before pushing off the bar and shambling back over to his table. His body was there interacting with his friends, but his mind had gone to a different place entirely. Thoughts swam around in the pool of alcohol that was his brain. Thoughts about the Reapers, about his band, about his life. Hell, his thoughts even dared to venture into the deep end, where he thought about Kacie and his parents. He was looking for something. He didn't know what exactly, but his mind wouldn't stop until it found whatever it was. The night dragged on, and the gears in his head kept on whirring well after he returned home and drifted off to sleep with Ress wrapped up in his arms.

Really the only reason he had managed to fall asleep was because, after seeing Commander Shepard walking around the bar, he figured it would be better to wait until he was sober to think through everything. He knew it couldn't really be Shepard herself. The woman was dead and gone. It was probably a delusion; nobody wore armor to clubs anyway.


	27. Vanessa Valentine 3: Strife

**Vanessa Valentine 3: Strife**

**Written and Submitted by TenumeKasumi**

It was business as usual in Afterlife. Patrons arrived by the dozen and one was thrown out every minute or two. Makani – or Kani, or Lotus – was working her magic by the bar amidst a crowd of admirers while RJ and his band rocked the stage, belting out song after song to the roars of an enthusiastic mob. Despite the swarm of people, the air was kept cool by advanced temperature regulators so Vanessa felt quite comfortable alone at her table with her usual glass of apple juice. The embroidered gold peacock on her front almost glowed against the black fabric and the dim lighting over the discreet booth. The mangled tags jingled as she shifted.

She waited, twirling a lock of her black hair around her fingers like she was apt to do when idle. Dark brown eyes flashed to the crowded main bar when something caught her eye. Two women – one in uniform and the other in a black and white catsuit were making their way over to her booth. Vanessa would have recognised the colour combination and insignia anywhere – Cerberus. If there was anything worse than the Alliance, it was them. And slavers. Though in recent months, Vanessa would have to admit that Reapers took the cake at the top of the list. At least she knew that these guys just had on the uniform for show. Glancing over at the dance floor, she spied two men in similarly-styled garb secretly observing. They must be together.

Humming, Vanessa made a careful sweep of the area to check for prying eyes before deliberately switching the drink from her right hand to her left and took two sips. The pair slid into the booth, the catsuited woman - who she knew to be 'Alice' - glancing around uneasily as the other one spoke in a voice almost lost to the beat of the music, "Vanessa Valentine?" Vanessa's ears perked. Then this one must be 'Katie'.

She tossed her head impatiently. The tags jingled against her chest – a reminder to herself. Vanessa took a breath, "Look, I don't normally give a shit if the Alliance is frothing at the bit for help, but I'm making an exception here. Better make this quick, I didn't expect you to bring so many. Bigger crowds draw more sensitive eyes."

The casually-dressed woman produced a data card and slipped it discreetly under her napkin. "I believe you know what the arrangement is?"

Vanessa finally displayed one of her catty grins. "Keep the card. Sorry to say I'm not your woman of the hour, or we'd all be walking away happy, but I know someone who has what you want."

Exasperation made its way to Catsuit-Alice's face. She probably hadn't expected this. "Okay, where do we go?"

"The guy's name is Tiberius Gaiterus - weird, huh?" said Vanessa nonchalantly as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her intertwined fingers. Jingle. _Shut up. _"Owns a store front on the Citadel but is currently on Horizon doing business. Can't miss him; really posh guy, handlebar moustache, odd beard, well-dressed, usually. Best you get there fast; he'll be there a few more days."

There. That should satisfy them. Vanessa broke eye-contact as she returned her attention to her drink in a clear dismissal. With a flick of the wrist, she added in a sudden spark of inspiration, "Oh, and tell the sorry bastard I recommended him. Maybe that'll inspire him to give me a better discount on future deals. The last time we met, guy tried to shoot me. Heh."

Catsuit merely nodded, climbing out of the booth, "Pleasure doing business with you." The other woman recovered the card with a casual sweep of her hand as she followed her out. Waving over the two men across the room, they made for the exit. Before disappearing from view, Vanessa caught Makani throwing Catsuit-Alice a familiar smile. The two knew each other.

The young pimp settled back into her seat and blew a lock of her fringe from her eyes. Huh. What a small galaxy this was.

Two years later after the Battle of the Citadel, things were very much the same in the grand scheme of things. But the tiny stone that would set off the avalanche was just beginning to roll down the mountain.

_There lived a little cat_

_In a house of red rage_

_Of bitter blue tears_

_And a big black cage_

###

Vanessa was having her stint in Afterlife's VIP lounge today when she saw them.

"Getting drunk will make it easier to talk it out," a quarian suited in grey told her human companion who was dressed in a viridian-coloured hoodie as she pulled on his arm.

"I better be getting some amazing sex for this," he moaned dramatically, giving up on resisting and allowing her to drag him along..

It was RJ and Ress, his quarian girlfriend. She had seen the two with the band 'Dissenters' around Omega here and there doing public band performances and generally gaining a name for themselves, though it wasn't until they landed a contract to perform in Afterlife VIP did she really get a chance to see the members up close and personal. Somehow, she had forged a friendship with the human member of the band, Randall - or RJ, as he preferred to be called. An Earthborn like her, come to Omega in the name of his musical passion. She couldn't quite remember how it started, but she seemed to recall a pair of neon-pink pompoms and a bright yellow grass skirt-

Maybe it was best she didn't remember after all.

Grinning conspiratorially, Vanessa slipped through the crowd and managed to appear before the two before they got too far. "I can help you with that if she doesn't cooperate," she cheerfully interrupted with a cheeky wink.

She received a wicked grin in return as RJ bumped shoulders with her. "Hey, V. Been a while."

"Hello, Miss Valentine," greeted Ress, though something about her tone sounded a bit strange. Vanessa wrote it off for the time being - she didn't know the others as much as she did RJ. Come to think of it, she had yet to have a face-to-face conversation with the salarian Jollin and had only talked directly with Ress a handful of times. Maybe she wasn't feeling well today or something, quarians were prone to illnesses after all. Vanessa was very familiar with the bassist Wrok though, as he tended to seek her out at least three times a week to discuss 'business'.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Vanessa gave Ress a winning smile while she turned and signalled the bartender to bring her her usual.

"The same thing I told you about offering things to RJ," came the reply. "I think I'll head over there. It was nice to see you."

Vanessa turned back around to see Ress already making her way over to a booth where the rest of the Dissenters were seated.

"You...too?" came Vanessa's delayed response, a question mark on her face. When Ress was out of hearing range, she shot RJ a mystified look.

"What was that all about?" she asked him. While Ress had never exactly been the type to throw tackle hugs everywhere and squeal based on the past few instances they had met, Vanessa didn't remember being treated so... abruptly by her before.

"Got me," said RJ as he shrugged and leaned against the counter. "She doesn't seem to like you for some reason."

"What? I haven't even done anything!" said Vanessa insistently as bit on the straw of her beverage and worried the bit of plastic between her teeth. Maybe it was something she had said?

"I know! I try to tell her that, but she won't listen." RJ threw his hand up in exasperation, in a way that seemed to imply '_women, I can never understand them'._

Which gave Vanessa an idea.

Oh.

_Oh._

"Maybe she's jealous of me," Vanessa offered half-seriously as she flipped her bangs out of her eyes.

It got a smirk out of him. "Oh, shut up."

She stuck out her tongue and was about to reiterate what she'd last said in a completely serious tone when his eyes locked on something a few metres away.

"By the way, is that a new bartender?"

Raising her head to see what he was looking at, she spied Kani who was hard at work - juggling, twirling and flipping tins, bottles and shakers and sending a myriad of differently coloured liquid to arc through the air and into glass and crystalware with movements as fluid as water. There was a burst of flame as she set fire to the neck of a dark green bottle Vanessa couldn't identify and the patrons clapped and cheered their approval. Kani looked so happy, so full of life and in the heart of her element that Vanessa had to smile.

How different it was from when she had first arrived here.

_"Silvia, could you and the others handle yourselves for a minute? I need to speak with Aria."_

"_Sure thing, boss," answered the asari maiden in a skimpy indigo dress which clung to her curves, giving Vanessa the thumbs up. "Can we beat up any johns who get funny ideas?"_

_Vanessa smiled grudgingly, "Try to keep any offenders in one piece, at least."_

"_Gotcha!"_

_Casting a final, warning look, Vanessa departed the booth in the VIP lounge and approached a locked door only accessible by staff. Waving her omni-tool over the holo, Vanessa watched the omni-lock flash from red to green then hiss open to let her through and into a passageway leading to the other sections of the club._

_She should make this quick. The last time she had left her people unsupervised for more than fifteen minutes, a human couple thought they could 'convince' a few of them to participate in a group sex session in one of the private booths. The result; the man had probably sworn off asari for the rest of his life, the woman had learned exactly how sharp turian talons could be and Vanessa had her ear chewed off by Aria's yelling about her negligence harming the club's rep. She could almost still feel that biotic punch to the gut she'd taken._

_Yup, wouldn't want that to happen again._

_The door was now within sight and she could hear the muted boom of the music. Which was oddly different from Upper Afterlife's usual tracklist. Or maybe not so odd - perhaps Flin had managed to get those juggling hanars early and had brought them in for tonight's show._

_Swiping her omni-tool again, the doors opened and the full blast of the up-tempo music assaulted her ears and made her ribs vibrate as the waves beat against her chest._

_All right. Hurry hurry, she thought, as she made her way over to the stairs leading to Aria's booth. Though she couldn't help her curiosity and turned to look out for floating jellyfish tossing random objects into the air._

_Then she stopped._

_There wasn't a single hanar in the room, but that was not the problem._

_They had a new staff member - a bartender. She was human, but that wasn't the problem either._

_The woman was dressed in black and white, a dark red jacket sat on her shoulders with a lotus flower embroidered on the back. Her hair was dark and highlighted with innumerable shade of red and one of her eyes was slightly swollen and bruised from a recent injury. She was talking to a salarian in Eclipse armour. Vanessa was sure she had never seen anyone who looked like that before, but something about the woman called out to her. Then she turned her head and their eyes met._

_And in an instant, a name surfaced in her mind. No, her mind said, it couldn't be, they looked so different. Yet, her gut was telling her 'yes'._

_As she always did, she went with her gut._

_Without hesitation, she strode right up the new mystery._

"_Makani Blancarte?" she asked straight up and she was reminded of the time she had asked much the same question in Dark Star to someone who had the exact same eyes._

_The woman's face immediately drained of all colour and the salarian intervened, shoving her behind him. "V.V.! You must be mistaken. This is Lotus, the new—"_

"_Wait," blurted the woman, "You were the one with the ceremonial knife... for Eva,"_

_The fact that she knew Eva's name was evidence enough._

"_That's right. But what are you doing here?" Vanessa looked her up and down. "And why do you look like a girl now?"_

_The salarian put a hand to his face nervously. "Ladies, let's take this discussion to a more enclosed setting." Then he turned to her, "And V.V., it's a good thing you are who you are because otherwise I'd probably have to kill you."_

You've got that backwards, Eclipse grunt, _were the words at the tip of her tongue, but she withheld them for now. There were more important things on the table._

"_Well, I was on my way to ask Aria a few questions, but my schedule has suddenly cleared up in the event of this interesting situation," she ignored the last statement and swept an arm toward the private booths. "Shall we?"_

_She would just have to hope that her 'employees' would behave themselves for just a little longer._

"Sort of," Vanessa said in answer to RJ's question, finally coming back to the present. Kani was already working on a third drink. "She's been here for a little while. She's really good, you should go say hi."

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for that...yet."

"I don't mean like _that_!" said Vanessa through clenched teeth as she looked to the skies in exasperation.

"Aren't you the pimp? What other way can you mean?"

"I hate you."

The guy had the nerve to laugh. Oh, how she would just like to take hold of his neck and- oh wait, wasn't she supposed to be asking him something? "When are you guys performing here again? I want to set up some more advertising; you don't get all that much outside of your own site."

"We've got another gig here in four or five days, I think. I'll have to check the site," he said sarcastically as he ticked them off with his fingers and his lips twitched into a suppressed smirk.

"I'll check it too, and remind you in a few days," she snarled in return and pushed off from the bar. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your guys. Good to see you!"

"Whoa, where are you off to?" he half-shouted, making her turn on the spot.

"Back to my table?" her answer came out as a question. "Why?"

He tossed his in the direction of the Dissenter's table, assuming a voice of fretful timidity. "Oh, ok. I just thought it might be lonely over there, and, y'know, my table's pretty full. But if you want to go sit all by yourself..."

"Not really..." She bit her lip. The idea of having to spend her night off alone was a little depressing. His offer was inviting, and it had been a while since she had the opportunity to have a real conversation outside of work-related matters. "But..."

"Ress is over there?"

Vanessa nodded.

"Well, then you can sit on the other side of the table," RJ suggested nonchalantly, as if making his girlfriend and another female who said girlfriend perceived as a threat sit at the same table was not a Satanic recipe for disaster.

"Am I allowed to use biotics if things get out of hand?" She didn't have any disarming equipment on her right now, and she was known to get carried away in bare-handed sparring so she needed to have some form of self-defense that would minimise collateral damage should Ress decide to pick a fight.

Vanessa received a sudden, sharp poke to her ribs and jumped, glaring balefully at RJ. He still had that shit-eating grin on his face.

"Only if you want an angry krogan sicced on you too." He sipped his drink casually as if he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Ah, good point," she said, massaging her ribs. "I prefer to keep krogan under me."

Sudden spluttering and choking filled the air and she snapped her head around to see beer spraying forth from RJ's lips - narrowly missing a swearing batarian - as he coughed and gasped for breath. She reached out a hand, about to ask him if he was okay or needed anything - when she heard laughing. Laughing? What was so-

Then her words came back to her like a collapsing brick wall and her eyes went as round as saucers.

"For the love of- not like _that_!"

"I didn't say _anything_," he managed to gasp, still chuckling. "So what are your preferences with asari?"

"I'm going to go sit at my own table," she announced threateningly, making to turn away.

"Oh come on, I was kidding," RJ tilted his head to the side like a little puppy. "Shouldn't you be used to it anyway, being the pimp and all?"

"Not when it's about my own life," said Vanessa quietly.

"I suppose that's fair. I'll make sure not to bring it up with the guys." A smile reached his face and he signalled for her to go on ahead while he got the drinks.

She swallowed her jitters as she approached their table - how was it that she could solo hordes of mercs without batting an eye, but the prospect of making new friends made her want to run for the hills?

"Hi, are you guys part of RJ's band?" she asked by way of introduction despite already knowing the answer.

"Sure are," quipped the salarian - _Jollin_, she reminded herself. "V.V. yes? RJ has told us a lot about you."

"Oh, really?" she responded, quickly settling into the conveniently empty seat next to him with the asari - _Ally -_ on her other side. From across the table, she could feel a pair of glowing eyes burning into her skull from behind a visor. "He tells me a lot about you guys too. He's coming over with the drinks, by the way." _Provided the bartender doesn't eat him up,_ she almost added. But remembered whose company she was in and to screw her big mouth shut just in time.

"Well, you sure don't need to know about me from him. You siphon enough of my credits from me every week," rumbled Wrok, her regular krogan customer. Next to her, Ally's lips twitched. "But there's something I need to talk to you about. That human female two days ago- "

"Wrok, please, not now," said Vanessa firmly. Tonight, she did not want to think about her trade. just for one night. A small mental vacation - was that too much to ask for?

"But- "

"I said no, Wrok. I'm not here to talk business."

Just then, RJ appeared and set the drinks down, grinning in that infuriatingly knowing way that made Vanessa want to kick him under the table - but his being next to Ress made that an impossible distance to cover without being completely obvious about it.

And Wrok still wasn't taking the hint.

"I need to tell you," he insisted and Vanessa resisted the urge to facepalm. "The last woman you set up for me, she was-"

"Look, I'm not talking about it now," she repeated more forcefully, evoking the voice she usually reserved for commanding her authority. This earned her an angry look from the krogan. She tensed up a little, watching him for signs of attack.

Well, RJ never actually did forbid the use of biotics...

"I'd listen to her, big guy," spoke Jollin as he relaxed into his chair as if there wasn't a potential fight brewing around him. "She might cut you off entirely."

"She wouldn't dare," hissed Wrok as he narrowed his eyes at her. She did likewise.

"You really think so?" she challenged, leaning closer. Wrok took it up and mirrored her move. As she sized him up, thoughts began running through her head. She doubted he had much against her, but she shouldn't underestimate him - it was a fatal mistake known to have brought down many a master. Besides, he was krogan. But even krogan could feel pain, and she supposed this one needed a bit of it in order to learn that respect was a two-way street. Just a little bit, she reasoned, it wouldn't seriously hurt him. This was how she dealt with most of her krogan clients anyway, including Wrok. Before either of them could make a move however, the tension in the air was broken by a loud snicker.

Wrok turned his hostile glare on RJ instead. "What?" he snapped.

"Nothing. Just remembering something V said."

Vanessa's eyes widened again and she shot a look of horror at the guitarist, rapidly mouthing '_You promised!_'

"And that is?" prompted Ally.

If she believed in a god, Vanessa would be swearing to the higher powers that she would pluck out every single strand of RJ's hair with a tweezer if he so much as breathed a single word.

"I can't tell you, I'm sworn to secrecy," RJ grinned at his bandmate with childlike glee which elicited a sigh of relief from Vanessa and a grumble from Ally.

The atmosphere was broken again, this time by a loud, obvious cough by Ress. Vanessa glanced at her, almost sensing the suspicion radiating off the quarian in waves.

"Well, I can tell _you_. Later." RJ quickly amended. Vanessa decided to go ahead with facepalm after all. He smiled apologetically at her. Oh, she was so going to find a pair of tweezers later.

"Let's just move on," Vanessa said loudly, trying steer the topic of discussion to something less humiliating.

"So you're the pimp here? Wrok's been holding out on telling me."

The question had come from Ally, something that the krogan didn't seem at all pleased with. Which made it all the more pleasant to answer.

"Sure am."

"I'm imagining you stay busy on a place like this."

"You don't know the half of it," she laughed. This was Omega after all. "What about you? I know RJ and Ress, and of course Wrok, but I haven't really had a chance to meet you."

Ally lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "There's not much to tell, at least not when meeting new people." Sensing a taboo topic, Vanessa hurriedly changed tack.

"Well, how did you join the band?" That had to be a safe question, right?

Thankfully, it was.

"Me and Wrok met a couple years ago, after he and these guys played some dump a few hours from here. He mistook me for somebody else he had...ordered, I guess. I hadn't been laid for a few days, so I figured 'fuck it.'"

Jollin leaned over and Vanessa sidled toward him to hear his subdued whisper of "Literally," over the music. She slapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to giggle.

"Har har," Ally commented sarcastically, not missing the exchange. "Anyways, when I told him to call me, I think he finally figured I wasn't who he thought I was. Funny enough, he actually _did_ call me. We stayed in touch and got to know each other. So he knew about my music, and when that Kacie chick left and they needed someone to replace her, RJ called me from Wrok's suggestion."

"See what my job can do! I bring people together!" Vanessa said triumphantly as if making a speech.

She caught RJ and Jollin exchanging looks. "... literally," they say in unison.

Vanessa rolled her eyes at this while the two dissolved into silent laughter.

From across the table, she saw Ress do the same.

###

_Sharp were the words_

_That did cut its little ears_

_Blue and black were the marks_

_That did colour its skin stark _

_Impossible._

"But true," said Lutaro, as the turian bartender wiped up the counter with a damp rag.

"But the funeral. I was there." _She died_.

"You said it yourself, they had the funeral but not the body. Anything could have happened."

"Look, Cerberus is scum, not God. They can't just degrave people and – and bring them back to life or something!"

"And I agree with you, but it looks like they did it somehow. If it really is Cerberus, I'm not putting it past them."

"You're right, it's _Cerberus_. Maybe it's a clone, or a VI, or an impostor, or-"

"Mm."

"…This sounds like a badly written sci-fi novel."

"You read too much."

Vanessa continued to stare at her amber-filled glass uncomprehendingly, trying to wrap her brain around what she had just learned. The icy droplets of water from condensation steadily slipped over her tense fingers and stark white knuckles, turning her hand numb. But she couldn't care less at the moment.

Commander Jane Shepard was alive.

It was like saying Aria had taken a fancy to donning a flamingo costume and re-enacting the Hippogriff scene in Prisoner of Azkaban with Ahz.

Okay, maybe not that high up the scale of impossibilities, but raising someone from the dead still ranked pretty damn close.

During the past two years, Vanessa hadn't forgotten about these 'Reapers'. She was no war tactician, she had no idea what to do to when it came to such things, but she supposed she couldn't go wrong increasing what military strength she could. Weapons upgrades – courtesy of a certain weapons dealer she loved to irritate – prototype mods, fresh recruits – she had made it so that Aria's men had been slowly amassing these over the past twenty four months. Sure, it was overstepping her boundaries and it earned her a spot on the shitlist of one Anto Korragan - who was the one actually overseeing such matters - but it was the only thing she could do and so she did it. Besides, she was pretty sure she was already on quite a number of personal shitlists. What was one more?

Grimly, Vanessa thought it would be interesting to see if – no, _when_ – the Reapers arrived, whether the three mercenary gangs would get their act together and work as one to defend Omega or turn on each other. While the only time they had ever collaborated was during the raid against Archangel, it _needed_ to happen again or they would destroy everything on the station and all her foundations would have been for nothing. Since either conclusion would largely depend on Aria's wishes though, and the asari could at least keep a rational head when it came to Omega, Vanessa had high hopes that they would be able to pull it off.

"Hey V, your drink isn't going to drink itself so get started. Or the ice will dilute it and you're going to whine to me again."

Slowly, detachedly, Vanessa raised the glass to her lips, ignoring the straw and chugging back half the contents before plonking it back onto the counter with a dull clink. She felt her blood turn to ice as the liquid hit her stomach and seemed to freeze her insides. Whoops - too much, too fast. Good thing it was only apple juice.

"_Meanwhile, there have been reported sightings of Commander Shepard on Omega-"_

"…Impossible."

"But true," replied Lutaro absently as he wiped a glass dry.

###

_Older now, the little cat_

_With claws now, the little cat_

_Wanting to fight now, the little cat_

_But not knowing how, the little cat_

The cigarette smoke wafted around her face and tickled her nose as Vanessa fought down the urge to sneer in distaste from the scent filling her nostrils. A dashing young man in a pinstriped suit – no doubt the son of some rich business associate – sent a lopsided smirk toward a trio of giggling, scantily-dressed women as he took another puff, oblivious to the black look Vanessa was directing at him from several seats away.

A vivid memory appeared in her mind's eye; of a tall man with bushy eyebrows and fierce, cold eyes sitting on a leather sofa as he peered critically at the television with a cigarette in his hand, the trail of smoke crawling toward the ceiling like an endlessly coiling snake. The very image of him sent a surge of loathing through her veins.

How she hated the smell.

Her thoughts were interrupted and the memory faded away as she felt someone stop to stand behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she spied a tall, lightly tanned and dark haired woman with hazelly grey eyes. Vanessa gave her a nod of acknowledgement and a wink. "Alice, nice to see you've escaped Wonderland. How are things?"

"Curiouser and curiouser they get," answered Alice, glancing at an asari dancer onstage who was putting on the moves. She didn't take a seat. "First off, thanks for the help. Second, I know who sent the assassin after you."

Raising a brow, Vanessa cocked her head to one side. "Really? Do tell." Interesting. So the man was a liar after all. And there was more blood to be owed. A biotic wave coursed through her body in anticipation.

"Rave Browning...he was sent by our J-2 section. Orders came from an Admiral Margot Kimmel. She's a piece of shit and the whole section is fucked up. Just thought you'd like to know."

A triumphant smirk crossed Vanessa's features, one that was not entirely pleasant. Alice did not remark on it and made no further comment as they again exchanged silent nods and the woman turned to make her way back to the bar. The Afterlife pimp returned to her drink, fingering the straw lightly with the tip of her finger in contemplation. The smoking young man from two seats away smiled superiorly when the giggling women abandoned their table and sashayed over to him. The smoke still lingered in the air and taunted her nose, settled in her hair, stuck to her skin - Vanessa turned the straw around the glass once with a finger. She'd best get moving, there were plans to be made.

_We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad._

###

'_Go.'_

###

"Hey, V! Off somewhere?"

Credits clinked merrily against the backdrop of the club music when Vanessa dropped a handful of them on the counter as tips and they were swept up by the new salarian bartender along with her empty glasses. Forvan was 'mysteriously missing' – her kudos to the one whom he'd pissed off enough to do it, jerk had it coming – so a replacement had been promptly hired. Turning a little to her right, she looked the speaker dead in the eye.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Blue-eyed Boy?" Vanessa grinned cheekily she leaned back on her barstool and rested her elbow on the short backrest to fully take in her companion. "What gave it away?"

RJ was still in his stage clothes; a crimson cotton tank and unbuttoned, torn leather jacket paired with scruffed up black pants. Brown hair lay in an artful mess atop his head and his stage makeup gave him an overall unkempt-attractive appearance. From the corner of her eye, Vanessa thought she could see a group of local teenage girls swooning and sending furtive glances at his direction. She stifled a laugh.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her pun in a way that said, _'Really? I mean, really?'_ and replied, "This is going to make me Captain Obvious, but you've changed your look today." He indicated her hoodie and cargoes getup with a nod of his head. She looked down at herself, spying the gleaming metal Alliance tags contrasting starkly against the dark undershirt and hoodie.

"Hm, didn't know you paid that much attention to my clothes, RJ," she beamed impishly. "Guess there's still hope for men as a species after all. Be careful though, don't want your girlfriend thinking you're flirting with me or something or she'll take my head right off with a microphone stand."

Laughing, RJ punched her on the shoulder. "Hey, now _that _I would pay to see!" He sobered almost immediately, his face apologetic. "Sorry about Ress the other time, she's not usually like that. I don't know what's going on with her."

"Don't worry about it, it's a girl thing. Perfectly normal," Vanessa laughed herself as she poked him sharply in the ribs and he let out a satisfying yelp. "Besides, I think we should discuss the more serious matter that you seem to find the thought of me dying absolutely hilarious."

"Hey, quit it! Thanks, but no thanks!" he elbowed her in retaliation, something she hadn't been expecting, and she felt her eyes water as the wind was knocked out of her. "You wouldn't fight fair, anyway. You've got armour. And a gun. All I've got on me is a pick."

Reaching down, Vanessa brushed the metal crates at her feet with the tips of her fingers as if reassuring herself they were still there. "Observant, aren't you? Yeah, a Graal Spike Thrower. Heavy as my coffin, but packs quite the punch. It's my good ol' pal." She patted the worn metal of the faded yellow crate fondly, like how one would welcome a beloved pet. Which reminded her that she had left Boo, her space hamster, in one of her girls, Caelia's, care for the duration of her absence. The turian woman might be rough and even borderline rude to other sentient beings, but she just melted at the sight of animals.

"What about you?" she asked RJ as she straightened up, her tone mischievous. "Don't see you around L.A. much. Slacking off from the job? Oooh…" Then she trilled in a deliberately irritating, sing-song voice, "Ho-ho, ta-ta yo, you're in trouble!"

Vaguely, Vanessa recalled a city on Earth called Los Angeles that also used the shorthand 'L.A.' It caused quite the confusion among Earth visitors on Omega when the acronym cropped up in reference to Lower Afterlife. Regretfully, the country the Earth city resided in was called the United States of America instead of just United America. It would have been doubly as great to see the looks on Earth patrons' faces when someone said, 'What the hell is Mitron doing in U.A.? Tell him to get his scrawny ass down to L.A., double time!'

RJ – who was just a mere few months older than her, Vanessa suddenly remembered – stared at her as if she'd grown two more heads. "What the- What did you just- actually, never mind," he said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. He turned to nod at the bartender in acknowledgement when a tall glass filled with a bright, fluorescent yellow solution was set down before him. "Anyway, we're on break now after playing non-stop for a couple of hours, so I think I deserve a little boost."

"Riiight," Vanessa drawled in reply. Looking at his slightly bubbling drink, she quipped, "I wouldn't drink that if I were you."

"That a challenge?" he shot back her with an audacious raise of an eyebrow. "It's okay, this won't end up like last time, if that's what you're worried about. I'm not going to finish it," he said while waving his hand dismissively and bringing the glass to his lips with the other. Seconds later, his eyes were bugging out of their sockets as he grabbed hold of the edge of the bar with a tight, white-knuckled grip.

Disguising a snort as a cough but unable to hide her grin, the short Chinese woman commented delightedly, "Whatever you do, don't spit it out!"

It was a few moments before RJ managed to swallow with a shudder and a grimace. He now regarded the glass with newfound wariness, eying it as if it were a cobra about to strike. "What the hell is…?"

"Something I think we're all better off not knowing," said Vanessa with a conniving smile and a wink. "Tastes like Polyjuice Potion, doesn't it? Disgusting stuff. Don't blame me, I did try to warn you."

"Yeah right, you were just goading me into it, weren't you? Anyone who heard your so-called 'warning' would have- "

"There you are, RJ! We need to reassemble now; performances resume in two minutes."

Turning around in her seat, Vanessa was met with the sight of Ress. She was a small thing, almost as short as Vanessa herself, and donned a light grey suit adorned with shimmering, silver wraps that matched her patterned hood. As she turned her head towards Vanessa, she seemed to stiffen. Offering a tentative smile, Vanessa turned her chair fully around for better conversation. Or at least, what she hoped would be a better conversation than the last time.

Ress crossed her arms. Uh-oh.

"Oh, hello… Vanessa." Vanessa almost swore she could see the quarian narrowing her eyes at her direction from behind the visor. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything."

"No, you didn't. Don't worry about it," RJ quickly assured her as he reached out that small distance and intertwined his fingers with hers. Ress turned back to him and the tenseness – or at least, some of it – appeared to melt from her body. Something in the air seemed to change and Vanessa was sure that behind the reflective visor was a grudging smile that matched the gentle one on RJ's face. Shifting a little awkwardly, Vanessa looked away, feeling as though she was intruding on something private. Both of them seemed to briefly forget where they were and that she was watching. The atmosphere between RJ and Ress had been summoned forth like a tidal wave that swirled around them and seemed to separate them from the others, a whole other world where only they existed and no one else was real.

And in a flash, it was gone as quickly as it came.

Seeming to come back to himself, RJ's face went beet red as he leapt up from his seat as if he'd been electrocuted. "Well, er, duty calls. Guess I better get going. Nice chatting with you, V!" said RJ a little flusteredly as he made to leave, very obviously leaving his drink still practically full.

"You'd better, or I'm going to make sure you're fired," flashing him one of her infamous cat-like grins, Vanessa waved him away. "Bring your pals so we can all hang out together next time! It's lonely sitting here by myself while everyone's off having fun."

"Then maybe you should go get some fun for yourself!" RJ brazenly threw over his shoulder in a parting shot as he walked off. Vanessa stared owlishly at his retreating back as if not knowing what to make of his jibe before she suddenly realised that Ress was still standing there.

"Er-"

"I have to get going too. I guess I'll see you some other time."

Vanessa inwardly winced at the slightly forced tone and raised a hand placatingly as she tried to appear friendly. "Hey, I- "

"See you around," and with that, the quarian turned tail and disappeared into the crowd after RJ. Frozen on the spot, Vanessa could only stare awkwardly after her.

_Well, crisis averted._

Her smile slackening, Vanessa's hand fell to her side as she turned back around and gazed off into the distance pensively. She could hear it in their voices, see it in their motions – they loved each other. They really did.

It made her think of RJ's words again. _'Go get some fun for yourself'_, huh? Just because she was a pimp didn't mean that she lived that way. Vanessa snorted, thumping her elbows heavily onto the counter. Though she supposed people might find it funny that the pimp of Afterlife had never been in a relationship, let alone the fact that she was a virgin. Heck, it was probably weird around Omega itself, not just the club. Vanessa heaved a sigh and rested her chin in her hands.

It wasn't as though she hadn't looked, but she just hadn't met anyone who appealed to her on that level yet. And it wasn't for a lack of meeting people either; she saw tons of them every day. Nobody seemed to spark her interest enough to incite anything more than a curious look (Vanessa Valentine absolutely did _not _ogle) and the men she usually conversed with were while she was on duty and they weren't exactly possessing traits desirable of a potential love interest. She and Lutaro had some brief instances of playful flirting, but it never went beyond that and they were merely goofing around anyway.

Sighing again, Vanessa crossed her arms on the cold countertop and rested her forehead on them. Her hair pooled around her and obscured her face from view. Damn if this wasn't making her feel like some sort of tragic, lovesick, angsty heroine of fiction. Though happily enough, at least she didn't feel as bad as to compare herself to a certain other fictional heroine who happened to have a thing for Gary Stud vampires that sparkled like a ten-year-old's glitter project. All the same, the idea of becoming an old maid and living alone wasn't very appealing at all.

She assured herself with the thought that maybe once things settled down enough, she could freely find someone whom she wouldn't mind sharing the rest of her life with. It must be nice, she thought longingly, to have someone you knew cared for you and would stand with you till the end. Right now though, things were rather hectic for her to even think about that, what with the resource gathering in preparation for sentient-machine-invasion and the strange, unexplainable boost in business.

So with everything that had been going on, romance was, unfortunately, not very high on her priority list. She chuckled into her forearms – who knew finding love could be such a boss battle?

She supposed she was part of the problem as well. After all, what honest man would want to be associated with her?

"You going to lie around the damn place like a dumb bitch or are you going to look up and face me?"

All thought was driven from her mind as Vanessa felt a sudden chill down her spine that washed through her body like someone had just poured a bucket of ice-cold water over her head. It was like hearing a ghost of the past coming back to speak from beyond the grave. Raising her head, turning slowly in her chair, wide, brown eyes met cold green ones. Her voice came out in a disbelieving whisper that, if not for their proximity, would have been lost to the sounds of the music and chatter.

"Eva?"

"No, I'm Mary Fucking Poppins. Can't you tell?"

Stunned, the pimp could only watch unblinkingly as her former 'employee' took the seat RJ had just vacated moments before. Leaving Omega had certainly changed Eva, as Vanessa had presumed, but not in the way she'd thought.

The fearful, desperate woman she had known was no more. It was a different person who sat beside her now. A different Eva. This Eva burned with a ferocious fire that scorched to cinders anyone who dared come close. This Eva had eyes that slashed everyone they saw with their razor-sharp hostility. Dressed in an iridescent blue velvet dress which reached down to her thighs and gleamed black where it clung tight to the curves of her figure, this Eva was the very embodiment of resentment disguised in a temptress of a mortal shell.

Vanessa bit her lip. She remembered; she remembered how the hate had coursed through her body and seemed to control it without her thinking. How tempting and easy it was to give in to that torrent of bitter rage and let it erase everything else. Let it move her body to its will rather than her own. Losing herself in the madness. It had been years before she finally found the strength to break free and act under her own power again. Her mother had taught her that letting hate boil over in her could only get her so far. Aria had taught her to control it, instead of the other way around, and use it as a weapon. Both pieces of advice had saved her.

And she shuddered, wondering that if they hadn't, would she have ended up like the Eva she saw before her?

Finally blinking and averting her eyes back in front of her, Vanessa managed to ask in her normal tone of voice, "I didn't expect to be seeing you back here."

"You think I fucking _want_ to be in this pisshole? Get real, V," Eva scoffed. The clinking of ice against glass sounded as she swirled her glass of whiskey around. "I just thought I'd stop and tell you hi, being that we parted on such pleasant terms with one another and all."

Vanessa replied cautiously, choosing her words with care, "Eva, I'm sure that you are aware that it wasn't personal, it was all business. I even made sure that you knew our ties were severed."

"Oh, I am completely aware. How could I ever forget, being that I carry a constant reminder with me everywhere I go?" Eva's hand went to her thigh and Vanessa saw the strap of a leather holster there along with a flash of silver – the ceremonial blade.

Something about the sight of it relaxed her somewhat and Vanessa's next words flowed out with more ease, "Then, I hope it serves you well. Have you got a name for it?"

"It's a knife, why the hell would it need a name?"

"Only important blades are ever bestowed names. And it's important, isn't it?"

The gorgeous blonde woman raised an eyebrow at her – Vanessa felt like she'd been getting that a lot lately – and seemed to contemplate for a moment before bringing the glass to her painted lips and taking a gulp. "I suppose I can think about it."

"That's good, then," said Vanessa with a genuine smile. "Is there something else you want from me?"

"Not really, I just thought that this _old whore_ could buy her _old boss_ a drink. Let her know that I was around and that nothing you ever did for me was forgotten." With a slight motion of her finger, Eva signalled the bartender to set down a fresh glass of apple juice before Vanessa. Looking at it, she couldn't help feeling a small sense of reverse déjà vu.

"Well, thanks." Lifting the glass of amber liquid, they clinked their drinks together in cheers and she took a gulp. Eva downed hers in one go. Vanessa briefly thought about stopping her, but knew it would do no good anyway.

"So," Vanessa said, lips curling into the catty smile she was so well-known for, "Planning on sticking around Omega?"

"Nothing for you to worry about V. I'm not allowed to play with the locals. Vido doesn't want me severing any ties here that he might find useful later on," answered Eva with a toss of her head to their right. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Vanessa glimpsed a tall, blonde man with a rather lanky frame storming over to them. The situation was oddly reminiscent of the time she had first met Kani at Dark Star on the Citadel and Krieger, perceiving her as a threat, practically bowled over everyone in his way while making a beeline for her. While this new blonde had nowhere near Krieger's bulk, the look in his eyes was the same as his. Then she realised what the man was wearing – armour of the Blue Suns .

At the same time, the name Eva had just dropped registered in her mind.

"Vido? Vido Santiago?" _The Blue Suns leader?_

"You know him? I mean I guess I kinda owe you for introducing me to the greatest love of my life." Eva winked, "Let me tell you that he really knows how to treat his women."

Something strange was afoot here, but Vanessa couldn't place her finger on exactly what. Blonde-Blue-Suns had reached them now and taken hold of Eva's arm, yanking it a little to put his mouth to her ear and whisper. The hushed tone and loud music drowned out most of what he'd said, but Vanessa's attentive ears caught the words 'time', 'local' and 'deal'.

Without so much as acknowledging his presence, Eva rose from her seat.

"Looks like I have to go. Like I said V, I'm not looking to cause you trouble right now, just wanted to let you know that you're still on my mind."

Vanessa opened her mouth and her hand twitched as if wanting to reach out and grab the older woman, tell her to stay for a little longer, that there was still so much she wanted to ask – then her gut feeling told her to let it go.

Her hand dropped to her side and Vanessa gave her a final smile. "Good luck, Eva. And know that you're still on mine, too."

And with that, Eva Harper walked out of her life. Again.

As she stared at Eva's disappearing back, Vanessa omni-tool beeped angrily at her and she snapped to attention, glancing at it. The interface told her that her ship was finally boarding and about to leave in fifteen minutes. She should get going too. No time to sit around and contemplate the universe.

Leaping to her feet, Vanessa reached down for her things, hefting the knapsack over her shoulder and taking hold of the two crates by their handles. Swinging around, she started for the exit.

Another beep, this time the message alert tone, sounded. Vanessa was momentarily distracted when she twisted around in an attempt to activate it and view the sender-

-when she ran smack right into something solid.

The impact jarred her left wrist and a stab of pain lanced up her arm as the old injury was aggravated, causing her to gasp and drop the Spike Thrower carrier. It landed heavily on a large, pointy, three-toed armoured foot with a loud clang audible even above the music which was followed by a flanging exclamation. She'd just dropped several kilograms of metal on a turian patron.

She wasn't overly worried about the shotgun - it was of Tuchanka make after all and could survive thresher maw acid baths - but if Aria heard about this-

Vanessa bit back a groan. She should _really_ take her own advice and watch where she was going.

"I'm so so _so_ sorry!" she yammered, bowing her head and shoulders in apology. "Are you hurt? I wasn't looking where I was going, and- "

"Don't worry about it," rumbled a deep, rich voice. "This armour's made of pretty good stuff. I'm okay."

Raising her head, she glanced at his dark blue and black armour - which was indeed fashioned out of lasting material, judging from its wear and tear - when she saw the huge, fist-sized hole in the right-hand side of his cowl-guard with the entire side of the collar charred black. She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. That looked like the mark from a rocket launcher or something similar. That armour must be _really_ good stuff.

The owner himself was a silvery-grey skinned adult turian with navy blue colony markings, a customised Kuwashii visor over his left eye and the right side of his face covered in a bandage - the same side as the damage on the armour. But now that she was looking at it again, there was a rather familiar-looking emblem on his upper armguard of his right arm...

"Hey, that looks like..." Her eyes widened in recognition as it finally clicked. "Yeah, I'm sure it is! That's the symbol of Arch- "

"What? No no no, you must be mistaken!" it was his turn to yammer as he turned slightly so the gold imprint was no longer visible. "It's actually- "

"Ah, Officer Vakarian, there you are. Shepard finished business with Aria. Time to leave. Not advisable to stay, too many watchful eyes. Problematic."

Turning to the new voice, Vanessa took in an aged-looking salarian with pale brown colouring dressed primarily in white and missing his right horn. She recognised him instantly.

"Dr. Mordin Solus?" she asked incredulously - the reclusive doctor was rarely seen outside of his clinic, let alone in the upper levels of the station.

"Ah, V.V." he sniffed, turning to appraise her."Human. Female. Age; approximately twenty. Oriental Asian-Earth descent. Physical health levels satisfactory, though short of stature. Recommend more protein intake. Try milk- "

"I'm allergic-"

"-substitute with soy, prevents triggering of adverse reactions. Over-intake of fruit juice inadvisable, subject is reminded that overdose of sugar can cause diabetes mellitus. Subject also a biotic. Hm, biotic amps outdated, should upgrade by transplant-"

"Er, do you know her, Doctor?" inquired the turian in the middle of Mordin's tirade. The doctor switched topics at the speed of FTL.

"Know in a sense. Comes by clinic on occasion for treatment of injuries sustained fighting merc gangs. Seems to have run-ins with Blood Pack in particular. Logical. Krogan and vorcha impulsive. Aria's attempts to control-"

"Anyway Doctor, what are you doing here?" Vanessa interrupted, not wanting him to give out too much information about her to the turian. If she didn't stop him, he'd probably be rattling off her measurements next.

"On mission, very nostalgic experience. Like STG, but more resources. Have left clinic in care of David, please seek him if you have further- "

A loud, long beep sounded as her omni-tool complained at her. Jumping, she checked the time - _oh shit, the transport ship!_

"Sorry, Doctor! I gotta go! Ship to catch!" she exclaimed, snatching her Spike Thrower back up. "And you there, I'm sorry about your toe!"

And with that, she raced off toward the docking bay.

It was only later that she remembered seeing those same turian colony markings on the very same turian over two years ago in a news coverage of the Battle of the Citadel when she had been recovering in one of the hospitals and pieced together his identity. And it was only then that she realised that Doctor Solus had mentioned that they were with Commander Shepard.

###

_With its tail between its legs_

_Fled the little cat_

_Away from home_

_Away from all that_

###

_[SUCCESSFUL LOGIN]_

_[YOU HAVE UNREAD MESSAGES]_

SUBJECT: Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can we cut you?

Cantik,

Believe me, I'm just as surprised to be sending this as you are to be receiving. I feel safe sharing that I am an asset for certain common Galactic interests

My few contacts on Omega can only get me shipment info on what goes to and from the station, nothing about disposition or readiness of the various merc groups or any Omega Irregulars that you, Anto or Aria lead.

In exchange for sharing any such info you would receive a sizeable portion of my intel payments, a bigger discount on my wares, and removal from my 'shoot on sight' list.

PS: I knew you never got shot

_[MARK MESSAGE AS READ]_

_[COMPOSE REPLY]_

SUBJECT: Re: Gaither Blade and Bling, what deal can we cut you?

Dear Tib-bear,

You can cut the crap, I know who you're working for. I don't like it and I like even less that I'm going to agree to this (somewhat). But there is some interest and personal gain in there for me, not to mention the prize. I will tolerate _them_ for now, but note that I will only be providing intel on the Blood Pack, Eclipse and Blue Suns. Aria's troops are off-limits.

P.S.: You might as well keep me on that list - I'll probably end up back there anyway.

_[MESSAGE SENT]_

_[LOGGING OFF FROM INBOX]_

_[OPENING APPLICATION 'GALAXY OF FANTASY']_

###

_Sharp are its claws now_

_Fangs that bite, tear_

_Red they are now_

_From the blood spilled there_

###

The Dissenters were really bringing down the house tonight.

The little bit of payback against J-2 had gone remarkably well, and Vanessa was back home on Omega in no time. In fact, just _in _time for a public performance by RJ's band over in the Zeta District. The resistance at J-2 had been almost a joke, despite her being stupidly outnumbered by them twenty-to-one. So much so that it didn't sit well on her conscience to kill them, so she let them off a little easy. Just a little. With the exception of an Admiral Margot Kimmel. She made sure to show the woman just why nobody messed with the pimp of Afterlife.

In light of such a disappointing fight and that RJ had invited her to the gig, she just couldn't say no.

So here she was on a raised platform watching he and his band wow the crowd. The music, very different from the tracks they normally played in L.A. and U.A., was refreshing to her ears. Jollin was remarkably lively on the drumset and Wrok worked the bass pretty well too. Ally seemed like a different person when at the keyboard, a wide, genuine smile - not a smirk - almost split her face in two. RJ's gleaming guitar screamed along with Ress' voice, matching her pitch for pitch. Again, she was reminded of how good they looked together...

A movement in the tail of her eye caught her attention and her brown eyes flashed to the very fringe of the crowd, where a freshly arrived hulk of a man was accosting one of the security guards. She recognised him.

Oh shit.

She carefully kept her head turned towards the stage but kept a careful eye on Krieger as she leaned over the railing, appearing completely engrossed by the performance. What was he doing here? Alright, that was a stupid question - he was obviously here for Kani. But as a friend or an enemy? He didn't seem to have any tokens on him indicating that he could be working for a merc gang or organisation of sorts, but she couldn't be sure. If he was looking for Kani, surely he would have some inkling as to her returning to her flairing so why here and not Afterlife? Vanessa inwardly frowned. She'd have to seek him out later. Approaching him now could invite disaster due to the number of people present if he turned out to be less than friendly. So she waited. The music sounded less energising to ears now as she continued to worry herself for the next two hours.

The minute the performance was over, Vanessa vaulted over the railing and landed on the stage. Casting her gaze around, she found that the German man had vanished from his spot. His size made him easy to pinpoint again, however - for some inexplicable reason, in line to get the band's autographs. What the-? Could he actually be a fan, then?

No, no, that was another stupid question.

Figuring she would wait it out and observe him a bit more until the crowd was a little thinner, she made for the side and lowered herself down on the steps.

She had barely gotten settled in when (more) trouble arrived in the form of two vorcha as one of them snatched Ress' wrist none-too-gently and she gasped, startled. Vanessa twitched, automatically raising a hand and charging it up with biotic energy, RJ snarled and made to strike the offender, the security guards were moving - when the vorcha released the quarian with a sputter and hiss as a large, beefy arm closed around his sinewy neck. Vanessa halted, watching in fascination while Krieger expertly choked him into unconsciousness then dealt the other one a single blow to the face, sending him to the ground with blood spewing from his mouth along with several yellowed fangs.

RJ immediately went up to Ress' saviour, thanking him for his actions as he pulled her shaking body close to him. Krieger gave him an impatient answer, calling him 'string-plucker' when his next words made her ears prick, "I must get to other side of this clusterfuck to speak to V.V. If you could let me through..."

Now was as good a time as any. She raised her voice over the cacophony, "And what do you need to speak to me for?" The man stilled, looking up at her and making eye contact. She matched him move for move.

"V, did you see this guy take out those two vorcha in seconds?" RJ spoke in a rush, turning to her excitedly.

"Sure I did, RJ," she responded, still eyeing Krieger cautiously while he stared right back at her. "But who is he?"

For now, it would be best to take up the mantle of strangerhood until she could fully assess this man's intentions. Eva had already been consumed; she wouldn't let the same fate befall Kani if she could help it.

"Not your enemy," he answered as he took a step toward her. Vanessa's guard flared right up. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, mere feet away from her. "I hear you can tell me where to find the Scarlet Lotus."

"You're referring to the flair bartender of Afterlife VIP. What could you want with her?"

"I was her bodyguard back when she was still Makani Blancarte."

No, don't say her name! Wiping her face blank, Vanessa responded in a monotone, "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that name. Lotus is her own person."

"Let me see her for myself."

"Sorry, she works in the VIP section and you're not getting in." Vanessa got to her feet and met RJ's questioning gaze, tossing her head to direct him to the private shuttle. She turned to look back at Krieger. "The band and I are heading that way for drinks. So have a good night - whoever you are."

"You're protecting her. Believe me, I am not a danger. I have seen you somewhere before. Not on Omega."

Alarm registered mildly in Vanessa's mind - he remembered her. Somewhat. It would be too risky to remain here any longer.

She turned to leave. "Maybe you have. I'm a busy woman and I travel. Now, if you'll excuse us."

Before the man could say any more, she stepped into the shuttle, followed by the band with RJ bringing up the rear, and they departed for Afterlife.

All the same, she thought, as she observed the Omega skyline from the window, she had a feeling that Kani's guardian was not going to give up so easily.

###

_Words were said_

_Words were heeded_

###

… though she at least had thought it would be a bit longer before he tried again.

"Get rid of him, boys," a strange man cooly ordered - half human and half red cybernetics - as Vanessa rushed out from Afterlife VIP after being told a fight had broken out at the very doors. Quickly, she took in the situation; the Terminator-wannabe seemed to be the leader of the grunts, who were advancing to surround a gigantic storage crate. Behind it was an all-too-familiar giant of a man who was loudly swearing at his omni-tool as his shields continued to flicker faultily. His shields weren't coming back up.

There was no time.

One of the grunts raised his Phalanx.

And was met with a biotic charge straight in his face.

The charge took down his shields and broke the bones in his body along with sending his companions hurtling through the air like ragdolls.

Luckily, if there was one thing the Alliance got right, it was making her a Vanguard.

"Krieger, what have you gotten yourself into?" she yelled as she whipped out her Spike Thrower and smashed the butt of it into an opponent's throat with an unsettling crack. The man fell like stone.

"V.V.! You know who I am after all!"

Vanessa ducked into cover beside him and fired at another mook to their right. The rebars ripped through him like butter. "Well, I had to make sure that you hadn't aligned yourself with Kani's enemies." She sent him a stern look, her black hair already wild and windswept. "I wasn't just going to let you waltz back into her life without knowing your true intentions."

"What the fuck!" he bellowed indignantly, shooting yet another grunt somewhere behind her." I spent the past year trying to track her down to bring her home! And by the way, seriously, where the hell have I seen you before?"

"Fight now, talk later!" Vanessa snarled through gritted teeth as she shot out of cover and sent a shockwave toward a cluster of assailants. Wearing rather interesting armour. What the hell was the _Shadow Broker_ poking his nose in for?

Vanessa flinched as she ducked an omni-blade aimed at her face, barely missing her chin by half an inch, and cursed herself her inattentiveness before swiping her leg under his and bringing him crashing to the ground - she _really_ ought to take her own advice for a change.

At least these guys were better than the clowns in J-2 she had to deal with. Vanessa found herself having to exert every muscle in her body as she leapt and flexed and ducked. The advantage of not having armour was unimpeded flexibility, which allowed her to fully utilise her martial arts skills at their maximum capacity. The drawback of it meant having no barriers, so she was forced to take cover more often than she was used to. Still, Krieger made a good battle partner as he brought down any hostile in his sights like a raging force of nature - an unstoppable tornado. Between the two of them, the Shadow Broker's agents were quickly decimated.

In the chaos, Vanessa heard Terminator call for reinforcements as she finished the stragglers with a well-placed nova. Now, while their forces were thin, would be the time to regroup. She reached out and yanked Krieger's collar - just managing to reach it on her tip-toes.

"Make a run for the VIP doors! I'll cover you."

"No way," growled the man savagely, "I'm going to eat this fucker's heart for dinner—"

"_Now! _We're going to need assistance once the next wave comes!"

With growl, he obeyed - turning to the doors of the VIP lounge. Vanessa didn't look to see if he'd made it, but charged at Terminator. He neatly dodged the biotic charge, grinning smugly which made her swear at him - the bastard was fast! Almost too fast - his fist grazed her temple as she side-stepped the punch. The man-machine must have cybernetic enhancements all over his body.

Just then, she heard more gunfire coming from the alley behind her - the one right before the entrance to VIP.

Terminator smirked, "Looks like you and Kani's little guard dog are outnumbered, pimp."

Vanessa sneered mockingly in response, "You really think so?" Screams began ringing out through Omega's passageways as the sound of return gunfire made itself known and the area began to glow blue from the biotic energy of multiple singularites and and stasises. It was her turn to grin. "My workmates are more than just pretty faces and clever drink mixers, you know?"

"Kid, you should learn to respect your elders!" Terminator took a swipe at her. She skipped out of the way.

"So you admit you're old?" she threw back as she prepared another charge.

He didn't reply the taunt but made as if to shoot her. She charged.

But when the biotic blast cleared, there was no body.

"FUDGE!" Vanessa cursed loudly, whirling back around and bolting for VIP. Seeing the way blocked by a line of Shadow Broker's mooks, she didn't slow her step but released another nova to knock them out of her way before diving back into the club.

"Terminator's a slippery bastard!" she shouted over the din at Krieger. "He disappeared when I tried to charge him again. Watch for him!"

The huge man nodded in acknowledgement and twisted the head of an agent that had come too close. Vanessa turned to face the entrance and activated inferno armour on her shotgun while sending a flare down the passageway. Its explosion caused a slight tremor and shook the walls as another half dozen bodies dropped to the ground. The fight continued.

Later, Vanessa was just wondering exactly how resource-rich this SOB was to be sending so many of his men to their deaths when she felt a large, meaty hand on her shoulder.

"V.V.! Where is she?"

Kani, of course. Man sure had his priorities straight - Vanessa wasn't even sure of that was meant to be sarcastic. "She left work a while ago!" she answered Krieger, keeping a steady grip on her Spike Thrower as it charged up. "Should be on her way home."

"Where?"

"Fumi District." She released the trigger. There was a satisfying boom and a cry of pain as several armoured bodies burst into flames. The next thing she knew, she was hurtling toward the floor with the words "Rocket launcher!" being roared into her ears.

Sure enough, a rocket streaked past over their heads, straight through the doorway and meeting a bar counter, blowing it apart in a deafening bang. Charred debris flew everywhere with burning embers igniting a few small fires even as Krieger surged to his feet and launched himself at the culprit - Terminator. Meanwhile, Vanessa struggled to recover from getting the wind knocked out of her and the ringing in her ears as she stared at the destruction with wide eyes.

She would have to thank Krieger for the save later. For now though...

"Say guys," she said a little breathily, getting to her feet. "What do you say that's going on the Shadow Broker's tab tonight?"

"I'd say," growled the turian guard as he readied a tech mine, "that he owes us interest on top."

"And a reave up his ass!" yelled an asari as she cast one into the thick of the mooks.

And with that, the inhabitants of Afterlife surged forward with loud battle cries to rain down hell on those who'd dared to touch its doors.

###

'_Never let anyone else stand_

_In the way of your goals again,'_

_Said one whose eyes she had_

_A spirit that refused to be slain_

'_Those who dare get in your way_

_Crush them all under your heel,'_

_Said Queen of everything's end_

_With eyes that could no longer feel_

###

"So... you're leaving?"

Kani nodded from behind the bar, her smile small and sad. "Today's my last day. Aria has given me leave to go. With John gone, I don't really need to keep my cover anymore so there's no reason for me to stay on Omega."

"Aw, not even for little, old me?" wheedled Vanessa in mock hurt.

The other woman smirked slyly, "Maybe if you let me have a peek down your- "

"Not happening!" Vanessa squeaked loudly, leaning back in her seat away from the laughing bartender.

"All right, all right! It was just a joke!"

A week had passed since the Shadow Broker's attack on Afterlife and Kani and Krieger's reunion. Things swiftly went back to normal and VIP was fixed up good as new though Aria was still stark-raving mad about it and frothing at the bit for a chance to take off the Shadow Broker's head herself. After finally being discharged from the infirmary, Vanessa was beginning to settle back into her routine when Kani broke the news that she would be leaving with Krieger for the Citadel.

Sobering, Vanessa lips curling into a gloomy smile. "Look, I'm glad everything's working out for you now but... I'm going to miss you." So many people had walked in and out of her life in going about their own, and Vanessa felt that awful feeling of being left behind and alone again as yet another person she'd come to care about was turning away.

"I'll miss you too, V," said Kani softly. Her eyes told her that she understood what was going on in Vanessa's mind. "But hey, you still have RJ and his gang. And we can stay in touch."

"That'll be nice. Don't feel bad about leaving, I understand your reasons." Then the smile transformed into a grin, "But really, who will be my expert juice mixer now that you're gone?"

With a chuckle, Kani straightened up. "How about a glass then, for old times' sake?"

The grin stretched wider, "Bring it!"

"Coming right up!" announced the woman gamely as she reached for her equipment.

As she did so, Vanessa had a split-second impulse. "Oh wait, not apple juice today."

Kani paused. A look of confusion was on her face as she turned back to Vanessa. "Pardon?"

The pimp winked, "What about some champagne? And take a glass for yourself too."

The suggestion was met with a level stare as Kani's serious air returned. "But V.V., you don't take alcohol."

"Well, I'm feeling different today and it _is_ your last day in the job after all. So hit me with it!"

Reluctantly accepting the answer, Kani began to wordlessly prepare the drinks. But Vanessa knew that the therapist side of her mind was working at formulating a real answer behind her unusual request. A champagne bottle was produced and set on the counter before two glass flutes appeared in her hands. Pulling off a series of expert flips and tosses, she ended with the two flutes standing upright, perfectly balanced on the underside of her forearm which was level with her ear. Steadily, she reached for the champagne bottle and poured liberal amounts of the softly bubbling golden liquid into both. The champagne seemed to sparkle in the ambient lighting.

With a practiced flick, the flutes were launched into the air, their trajectory perpendicular to the ground. They rose, hung suspended by nothing for a moment, then began to fall - landing upright on the back of Kani's left hand without tipping over. Not a drop had been spilled.

Vanessa clapped enthusiastically and whooped as Kani used her other hand to set them back on the bar.

"So, cheers?"

"Cheers!" responded Vanessa cheerfully as she took hold of the slim, chilled stem of one glass flute while Kani took the other. Clinking them together, they each brought the rims to their noses and inhaled. The subtle aroma of flowers and pears assaulted Vanessa's nose. She took a sip.

The champagne swirled about her mouth and sat on her tongue as she registered the taste. It was a little sweet, and... lemony? She wasn't sure. The bubbles fizzed up her nose in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. She swallowed and felt it tickle as it made its way down her throat. It wasn't so bad.

If it weren't for the fact that the disgusting taste and smell of the alcohol overpowered her senses and made her want to hurl the delicate glassware at the nearest solid surface.

Something must have shown in her expression because Kani asked, "Something wrong, V.V.?"

"Sorry," she replied with her same catty smile, "I guess I'm still not ready yet."

The look she received was questioning. "Ready for what? Did I ruin- "

"No no, it's not your fault! It's just..." Vanessa trailed off, gazing into the softly bubbling liquid in the beautifully pristine glass.

"'Just'...?" Kani prompted gently.

Vanessa let out her breath in a huff as she slowly set down the flute and pushed it away with a finger. "Looks like I still have a long way to go."

The foul taste of the alcohol lingered on her tongue for hours after that.

###

'_Go,' they told it_

_And the little cat did_

###

An alliance with Cerberus. Who would have thought?

Vanessa seethed quietly in her position in the corner of Aria's lofty booth with her arms crossed over her chest and back ramrod straight. Dressed in her usual black clothes with the scored ID tags hanging off her neck, she looked every inch the same except for the tenseness in the way she carried herself and the absence of a grin on her features. Her eyes were stone cold as they stared dead ahead.

"Relax, your impersonation of a marble statue is starting to get old," the queen of Omega herself drawled irritably at her. A smirk broke across Vanessa's face, but it still wasn't one of her usual ones. Something a hint more malevolent was present.

"Heh, wouldn't want Cerberus to think your taste in decor is so bad, huh?"

"Look," snapped the asari, finally turning her head to look at one of her trusted henchmen dead-on, "Don't you fucking dare let your personal issues get in the way of the negotiations. If you can't control yourself around him- "

"I'll control myself if he does," retorted the pimp with just a hint of venom in her voice.

"You _will_, and that's an order," came the sharp voice with a tone of finality. Aria resumed facing forward and the conversation was closed.

Just then, Anto appeared. "Cerberus. Requesting an audience."

Aria jerked her head impatiently in assent and the batarian vanished down the stairs once more. There was a muted exchange of voices, shuffling and then a group of humans garbed uniformly in black and white stepped off the stairs and onto the lofty booth.

And there he was, to the right of the man in the centre. He was about six feet in height with dark skin, hair shaved almost all the way to his scalp and mostly grey with bushy eyebrows that shadowed his black eyes, giving him an intimidating appearance. His fingernails were gnarled and chipped and the one on the right index finger broken clean off as she remembered. But the lack of a walking cane in his hand and the absence of any limp in his step was striking. His position in Cerberus must have granted him quite a few perks, then.

Sensing her eyes on him, he looked to her corner and their eyes clashed.

Neither of them reacted, their faces wooden. While inside, Vanessa felt the age-old hate simmer in her soul like a carefully brewed potion.

"Fucking finally, trust Cerberus to arrive late to an appointment," said Aria dispassionately as she cast them all a disdainful look.

"We apologise," spoke the man in the middle who'd stepped forward. "We ran into some technical issues- "

"I don't have the patience for your half-assed excuses," Aria interrupted, eyes flashing dangerously. "Just get on with the negotiations so you can get the hell out of my club."

Discontent mutterings broke over the group but their spokesman silenced them with a raised hand. "It's fine. As you wish."

Meanwhile, Vanessa and the other man still had not broken eye contact. One of his fellows noticed and tapped him on the shoulder.

"That's one of Aria's elite. You know her?"

The man broke his posture to cross his arms in imitation of her stance pose. Vanessa's own arms immediately dropped to her sides.

"You could say I know her," he replied his colleague without looking away from her. "Would you care to be introduced to my daughter?"

The atmosphere around the booth was struck dead as silence fell on them like a ton of bricks. Every ear was listening. Beside him, his colleague's eyes widen. "Y-Your-?"

Even their spokesman seemed surprised as he turned to look Vanessa straight in the face and she knew, despite how much she denied it, that he saw the similarities - the high forehead, the broad shoulders, the long limbs - "Wait a minute, you mean that's- "

"-your kid? V.V.? The pimp? Seriously?"

Inwardly, a beast reared its head from the depths of her soul and she resisted the urge to plaster everyone's brains to the wall.

"People are asking, Vanessa," said the man brusquely, his hard eyes never leaving hers. "Aren't you supposed to say something?"

The monster in her wanted her to bare her teeth at him and snarl, but she instead allowed a sickeningly sweet smile to stretch across her face.

###

_A grudge was born_

_A little cat was dead_

_Now there's only a demon_

_A _bakeneko_ after your head_

###

"Hi, Pa."

###

**A/N:**

'_Ho-ho, ta-ta yo, you're in trouble!' - _a phrase sung when the person to whom the singing party is directing it at is in deep shit. Unique to Malaysia, though not as common anymore as it was mostly used by 90s kids. It is extremely, _extremely_ childish to use it (usually done by pre-schoolers or very young primary schoolers).

_Bakeneko_ (BAH-keh-neh-koh) - a supernatural cat demon of Japanese folklore, literally meaning 'shape-shifting cat'. It is believed to be transformed from a cat when said cat is either a.) unusually old b.) reaches a certain weight or c.) has an unusually long tail. Here in the poem, I'm basing the birth of a bakeneko from the formation of a grudge. I can find no actual evidence of folklore ever saying that grudges can create bakeneko and the premise is mostly based on anime - in particular, the anime adaptation of a theatre play titled _Bakeneko_ in _Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror_ (it's pretty good and was my favourite among the three stories - really gives you food for thought).

It was super fun writing this chapter and working together with everyone! Really, the collaboration bit is the most enjoyable part of this to me. I'm literally in the middle of finals so this was tough to find time to write but yes, so much fun!

And finally, the plot gets off it's ass and develops - halfway through the story. Whoops. xD But yeah, there goes my dad - someone I hate to the core.

Now I better not make the word count any longer or Legion might chop my head off with that ontario after all. xP


	28. Maike Ariasu 3: Patterns

**Whooo! MN Arias here with another chapter of this Collab, I really took this chapter away from where I originally wanted it to go, with the addition of a character from Maike's past, to a new friend, anyway I hope you like this.**

Maike and Sami entered the small apartment that they were calling, 'home', and Maike went over to the computer terminal, "Sami, could you bring up the recent colony abductions on the galaxy map?" he asked.

"Sure thing," Sami says as she moved over to a small table in the middle of the room. She took out a small OSD and inserted it into the slot in the middle of the table, and backed away.

A galaxy map is projected from the table and takes up most of the space in the room, Maike then walks over to the map that he has practically memorized from all of his time staring at the map, "There has to be a pattern," he says looking at the various highlighted coordinates representing abducted human colonies, "Highlight all human colonies outside of standard Alliance and council space."

Sami does what he says, "Why not the ones from our space?" she asks.

"If they were abducting colonies from Alliance or council space, then they would have to take action," Maike says as he examines the map, "Number the colonies from the first abduction to the latest one."

Again Sami complies, "I see," she tells him, "so you think that the next abduction will happen soon?"

"I don't know," Maike says, "I can only hope that we can find the next one before it happens," he looks at each colony individually walking from the first to the last in order of abduction, "There seems to be no visible pattern," he says, "no, something like this must have a pattern, I have to look harder."

"Don't work too hard," Sami says with a hint of concern.

"There is no such thing as too hard, not in this," he told her, he grabs the ring he had tied around his neck, "this is personal for me."

Sami sighed, "You know you never told me why it's personal," she told him, "we've been working together for a few months. Don't you think I deserve an answer?"

"That isn't something you need to concern yourself with," Maike said as he continued to look at the map, "just know that these things, whatever they are, are probably the only reason I'm here."

Sami crosses her arms, "You really need to lighten up," she tells him.

Maike turned his head to look at her, "No, I don't," he told her then turned his attention back to the galaxy map, "still no pattern...wait," Maike says, "it is almost like a circle, Sami draw a path between the abducted colonies!"

Sami draws the path, "What did you see?"

"This," Maik says, "the colonies almost form a circle, but they weren't abducted in that manner," he looks at the line, "if I am correct, the next colony to be abducted will be in this cluster," he touches a small cluster, "there are two colonies in this cluster, so we should keep an eye on it."

"Should I send a report back to the illusive man?" Sami asks.

"Please do," Maik said, "I need to sleep, good night," he tells Sami as he shuts off his terminal and the galaxy map, "I will see you in the morning."

"Good night," Sami responds as he goes to his room.

Maike was in a dark room with a single light shining on him, a place his mind often went in his sleep, "Once again, I am here," he said to himself, "hopefully this will end soon."

"You can't really think this is the right thing do you?" a familiar voice told him, "working for Cerberus?"

"Right now, it's the only thing I can do," Maike tells the voice as he turned around, "Though seeing you here is a nice change Saria," he told her.

The image of Saria in Maike's mind flickered between how he wanted her to be, and how she was at the end, "Why is it the only thing?"

Maike closed his eyes, "Because they gave me a new reason to live, after I lost you..." he paused, "I lost my purpose, and they gave me a new one, to find the ones responsible for your death."

Saria moved over to Maike and hugged him, "I'm sorry," she told him, "but our story ended, and now you have to find another story."

Maike chuckled dryly, "Can I find a new story?" he asked Saria then pulled out of the hug.

"You already have," Saria began to back away, "you just have to realize it."

maike was confused, "What do you mean?" He asked her, but she began to fade away, "Saria!" He screamed as he woke up.

Sami came into Maike's room, "Are you alright?" she asked.

Maike sat up slowly, "No," he told Sami, "I am haunted by my ghosts."

Sami sat down at the foot of the bed, "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Maike, "I will listen."

Maike closed his eyes, "Around three years ago, I was engaged," his hand went to grab the ring that was tied around his neck.

Sami nodded, "What happened?" she asked semi-curious, semi-afraid of the answer.

He opened his eyes, "She died when the Normandy was attacked," Maike looked at his hands, "I was on the ship that assisted in the rescue of the crew, and she died..." he felt tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry," he got out of bed and went out of the room.

Sami was smart enough to know what Maike was going to say, and followed him, "I'm sorry," she told him as she grabbed his arm, "I don't know what it did to you, or what it felt like, but for what it's worth, I am truly sorry."

Maike sighed, "I just need to get my mind off of it."

"Why are you avoiding the subject?"

"Why wouldn't I!?" Maike shouted, "Would you want to face it?"

"I would if it would help me move on," Sami responded.

Maike pulled away from Sami, "I have moved on."

"Why don't I believe that?"

"Believe what you will," Maike went into the living room and grabbed his coat. He left the apartment and went for a walk around the Citadel.

Sami stayed in the apartment, knowing that Maike just needed time, "Damn it," she said to herself.

**1 hour later Citadel Normandy memorial.**

Maik stood in front of the memorial that had been put up after the death of commander Shepard, and the destruction of the Normandy, he stared at the names of those that were killed in the attack, more specifically at one name, "What am I supposed to say?" he asked himself.

"Say what comes to your heart," the figment of Saria said as she appeared behind him, "what would you say if I were here?"

Maike sighed, "I miss you," he told her, "not one day goes by that I don't think about you, or if we had gotten to you a few minutes sooner."

Saria's image hugged him from behind, "But that didn't happen, and you are here. Now you have to live your life, for the both of us."

"How? How can I live a life, when you were the best part of me?" Maike asked as he closed his eyes.

"Become better," Saria told him, "you are the best thing that happened to me, so be the best thing for you."

"You're probably right," Maike said.

Saria began to fade away again, "Just like always, you may be a military genius, but I was still the brains."

Maike chuckled, "Goodbye," he said as she faded away completely. He turned around tears streaming down his face as he started his walk back to the apartment.

**Two months later, Citadel apartment.**

Maike looked at the engagement ring that had once been Saria's, "Soon," he said to himself before putting it away back under his shirt.

Sami walked into the living room, "Hey! Did you hear the great news?" She asked with pure excitement.

Maike looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What news?" he crossed his arms and waited for her to answer him.

Sami grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it to the news channel, "We have just received reports that the human colony of Horizon has just been attacked by a mysterious race known as the collectors, but they have been repelled by an unknown party," the asari reporter announced, "there have been rumors that the deceased commander Shepard was the one leading this unknown party."

Maike turned the TV off, "So, we finally landed a punch," he said in a sarcastic tone, "about damn, fucking time."

Sami looked at Maike curiously, "I thought you would be excited about this," she told him.

Maike looked back at Sami, "I am," Maike told her, "but what just happened on horizon should of happened when it first started," he closed his eyes and sighed, "too many lives have been lost because of the collectors,"

Sami knew that in that statement, Maike was referring to his dead financé and looked down, "I... understand," she told him, not really knowing how hard the loss of her was on him.

Maike opened his eyes and looked at Sami, "No you don't," he told her, "no one can understand another's pain," he walked over to the window and looked at the pedestrians that were walking below, "even if you were to have the same loss, you would feel the pain differently."

Sami felt belittled by his lecture, "So you won't accept anyone's condolences?" she asked heatedly as she walked up to Maike and grabbed his shoulder, "You won't try to move on with your-"

Maike interrupted her, "I have moved on!" he turned around to look at Sami, "Why are you so persistent in trying to make me think about it?"

Sami was stunned by the question, clearly not expecting it, "I..."

Maike walked away from Sami, "Why are you even here?" he looked back at her trying to figure her out. He had just asked her the one question that had been bugging him since they had moved into the apartment.

Sami closed her eyes, "Does that really matter?"

Maike turned back around, "I guess it doesn't," he told her and left the room.

**1 month later Citadel**

Maike was walking through the wards of the citadel, though he really wasn't doing anything, he kept his pistol on him, never know when you'll need it, was what he said whenever Sami would ask him about it. Although, since their altercation about a month ago, he and her had grown distant, well more distant than he already made them. They only talked about work, and rarely stayed in the same room for extended periods of time. He heard one of the shops say, "I'm commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the citadel," so he turned his head to see a tech store.

Maike walked over to it to see a salarian behind the desk, "Welcome!" he said in the usual high pitched voice that came with them, "What can I do you for?"

Maike looked at the console, "What is the best Omni-tool you have?" he asked.

The store clerk scratched the back of his head, "Um, I think we have Savant 7's in stock," he said.

Maike looked at his Omni tool, and sighed, his was a Savant X, and that would be a major downgrade, but he wouldn't be able to disappear with Cerberus equipment on his wrist. buying it would be the best thing for him to do if he needed to disappear, "How much is it?"

"The price is on the kiosk, and will be delivered to you in a few hours," the clerk said.

Maike moved over to the kiosk and looked at the price. It was only a chink in the armor compared to all the money he had saved over the last seven years, he looked at the send address box before he confirmed the purchase, and hesitated, "I'll have to think about it," he said as he walked out of the shop.

**A few days later**.

Maike had returned to the tech store and went to the Kiosk, he quickly navigated it to the Savant 7 Omni-tool, and filled out the information page.

_Name: Kuren Salimash._

_Race: Human._

_Address: block 500, apartment 708457, Shalta Aroch ward._

_Confirm?_

Maike pressed the confirm command and heard the salarian shopkeeper say, "Thank you for your business, I hope you return soon."

Maike nodded, "Sure thing," he said then left the store. Maike opened his Omni-tool and looked at his map, he then navigated his way through the Zakera ward to the nearest rapid transport, and took it to the Shalta Aroch ward where his fake address was located.

Maike waited most of the day for his new Omni-tool to arrive, but it didn't matter to him, the more prepared he was for his disappearance if needed, the better, but he did need to return to the apartment soon. if he didn't Sami would inquire as to what he was doing, and that was the last thing he needed.

**An hour later.**

Maike walked into the apartment and saw that Sami wasn't there, "That's odd," Maike said to himself. Sami usually only left the apartment alone when they were both going to the same place. Maike walked silently around the apartment, looking into his bedroom, nothing out of the ordinary, then he looked into Sami's room, and saw that it had been ransacked, "Shit," he said to himself as he drew his pistol, and walked in. Sami's room had been torn apart, her bed was turned over, her clothes were all over the floor and the couch looked like it had been cut up.

Maike heard voices coming from the hallway, and opened the window. He climbed out and hung on the ledge, as the voices came into the room, "Hey, was that window open before?" he heard a batarian ask the second voice.

"No, it wasn't," he heard footsteps coming towards the window and put his gun back on his hip.

The second batarian stuck his head out the window, but before he could react to the man hanging on the ledge, Maike grabbed him by the collar of his armor, and pulled him out of the window. Before the batarian went out of view from the fall, Maike saw that he was wearing blue suns armor, "Shit."

The second batarian ran towards the window as Maike drew his gun and readied it. Once the batarian stuck his body out the window he received a new eye, and fell out as well following his friend.

Maike climbed back into the apartment, "Damn it Sami," he said as he opened his Omni-tool and wrote a message to her, _What the hell were batarians doing in our apartment? And where the hell are you? _after he sent the message he heard more chatter from the hallway, from the pitches of the voices it wasn't just batarians, but turians and some humans, "Shit!" Maike yelled as he went for his room. As soon as he got there he heard people entering the apartment, indicating that the people had heard him. Maike was facing a full blue suns team, and he had no idea how many there were. He knew his only chance was to hope that they didn't have very good equipment.

"Check the rooms!" one of the batarians shouted. Maike took a deep breath and went out his windows and began to shimmy his way to another apartment.

As soon as he reached his neighbors window, he knocked on it, "What the hell?" an asari voice asked as she came to the window. She opened the curtains and saw Maike, and Maike saw that the asari was naked.

"Please keep-"

"I found one!" a turian yelled out, "he's on the ledge!"

"Get the chopper!" he heard the batarian shout again, and the turian disappeared.

"Please let me in?" Maike asked the asari.

The asari quickly opened the window, "Hurry," she told Maike to which he complied.

When Maike got into the room he saw that the asari wasn't alone, and was in fact with another asari who was laying under the covers, also naked, and looking at her bondmate and him, "I am so sorry for disturbing-"

"He's gone!" someone yelled,

"Go check the other apartments!"

"Hide under the bed," the asari next to Maike ordered, to which he complied.

Once he was under the bed he heard the first asari get back into the bed, "Embrace eternity," she told her partner, and moans began to follow.

It wasn't for a few minutes that the blue suns broke into the apartment and then the room in which the two asari were going at it like newly-weds. There was then a few screams, and a "Get out!" coming from one of the asari.

He heard the armored feet of the blue suns run out of the apartment. Maike got out from under the bed and looked at the two asari who were now sweating, "Thank you," Maike said as he began to leave.

"He's kinda cute," he heard one of the asari say.

"Do you have to go?" the other asari asked Maike before he went out the door.

Maike's Omni-tool began to ring, he activated it and saw that it was Sami, "Where the hell are you?" he nearly shouted.

Sami was taken aback by Maike's tone, but then saw the two naked asari in the backround, "I could ask you the same thing."

Maike continued to walk towards the exit of the apartment, and could hear a small whine from one of the asari, "That is a result of the blue suns raiding our apartment."

"What!?" Sami shouted.

"Don't play dumb, they only went through your room," Maike said, "why is that?"

Sami was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry, I can't tell you."

Maike looked at her as if she was crazy, "I nearly died! So, don't give me that BS!"

Sami looked down, "I'm sorry," then she cut the line.

"Damn," Maike said as he opened the door, he looked into the corridor before going into it, making sure there weren't any blue sun's left. Once he was to the elevator he considered going into it, "Not a good idea," he said as he looked at the floor, "but going down 752 flights of stairs doesn't seem so appealing either," he called the elevator.

When the elevator doors opened a single human blue sun was inside of it, "Fuck," he said as he went for his assault rifle. Maike didn't even give him a chance, pulling a knife out of his jacket and shoving it through the man's throat.

Maike entered the elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor, "Thanks for the armor," he said to the man's corpse as he began to remove his clothes. Once Maike finished removed his clothing, he started to remove the sun's armor, and put it on himself, keeping his pistol on the floor next to him.

The elevator stopped on the 347th floor, and Maike grabbed his pistol, his chest still exposed, and aimed it at the door. When it opened, it revealed an elderly turian couple, "What in the spirits?"

"You might want to take the next elevator," Maike told them as he pressed the close door button, and the elevator continued its descent.

Maike finished putting the blue sun armor on around the 150th floor, and looked at the body on the ground, "I should move that," he said to himself as he looked at the hatch above the him. After a few minutes of climbing, and pulling, Maike finally got the guy on the top of the elevator, and just in time, because when he jumped back down, the elevator arrived at the ground floor.

Maike saw a few more suns outside of the apartments, "Everyone! pack it up!" a batarian shouted as a group of blue suns came down from the stairs, "Our main target has been spotted at the spaceport, and we believe is heading to Omega."

The suns began to move towards some sky-cars, and a chopper that were parked outside. Maike, who didn't want to be found out, followed.

Once inside the car, Maike decided it was time to do some digging, he turned to the batarian that had been giving out orders, "Sir, can we get a few more details on our target?"

The batarian turned his head to look at Maike, and narrowed his eyes, "All we know, is that the target is a female, human, and is proficient in both sword, and biotic combat. How many times do I have to tell you that Griff?"

Maike was quiet for a moment, before a turian, the driver spoke up, "Sarge, He's a lazy asshole, and doesn't remember how he got out of bed."

The batarian nodded, "Good to see someone can pay attention."

"Kiss ass," Maike said.

The turian just kept smiling as he kept driving.

**A couple hours later.**

Maike was now on a blue suns shuttle to Omega, where he would hope to find Sami. Before he had gotten onto the shuttle he threw away his Cerberus Omni-tool, and put his Savant VII, on his wrist, _Don't want them to be able to follow me at this point, _he thought to himself. Maike looked out the window and saw that they were almost at Omega, _You had better explain yourself when I find you Sami. _

When the shuttle landed, the batarian commander looked at Maike and the turian that had been the driver to the sky-car, "Griff, Simons, you're with me, we'll take a small team to find our target. Remember our client wants her alive."

"Yes sir," Simons said crisply.

Maike, trying to stay true to the character that the man he was impersonating was portrayed as, said, "Sure thing."

Maike got into a chopper that was waiting for them, along with the turian, and batarian. Once they were inside, Maike saw that there were five other blue suns waiting for them. The chopper took off at once, and Maike had a bad feeling about what was about to happen.

When they arrived at the area that Sami was reported to be in, Maike took a deep breath, _as long as these guys don't figure out that you are here to help her, you'll be fine, _Maike reassured himself.

"Everyone out!" the batarian shouted, to which everyone got out of the chopper and came to an apartment complex. It looked like it had been abandoned for a while, but this was Omega, and that might just be how the entire place looks.

They made their way through the apartments checking every corner, Maike staying a little behind the rest, hoping that if they found Sami he would be able to surprise every single one of them. They came to the final door, apartment, and the batarian looked at Maike, "Griff you take point," he ordered, "maybe she'll kill you."

Maike opened the door, and raised the assault rifle that was in his hands, "Come out and we won't hurt you!" he shouted.

What happened next wasn't what he was expecting at all. Simons pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the back of Maike's head, "Thought you were so clever?" the turian asked Maike rhetorically, "Come out! Or your boyfriend loses his brains!"

Maike put the AR to his side, and sighed, "Well, so much for that," he said as he used one of his hands to take his helmet off, "How did you figure it out?"

Simons smiled, "I smelled the blood that was on your armor," then he shouted, "I'm giving you the count to three! One!"

"You know, you broke the first rule of shooting someone," Maike told the turian.

"And what would that be?"

"Never stand less than five feet from the guy you're going to shoot," Maike answered as he spun around, using the helmet as a blunt weapon, and hitting Simons on the side of the head. Maike crouched to avoid the suns' gunfire, and then opened fired on them. Most of the blue suns went into cover behind the doors, "Sami, I need biotic support!"

Without another word a singularity shot over Maike's head and into the hallway. Maike grabbed one of the grenades on his belt and threw it into the hallway, and got out of the way of the door. The grenade went off, and judging from the silence after, all the blue suns were dead, "Maike!"

Maike stood up and turned around to see Sami running towards him. Maike was surprised when Sami nearly tackled him into a hug, "It's good to see you too?"

Sami continued to hug Maike, "I thought you were going to die."

Maike closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Sami, "I won't go out that easily," he told her. For some reason, hugging Sami didn't feel wrong in any way, and in fact he enjoyed it.

Sami pulled away, "I'm sorry," she said, as she wiped some tears from her eyes.

Maike opened his eyes, "Don't be," he told her, "now, why did they want you?"

Sami looked down, "Well..." she trailed.

Maike crossed his arms, "Now."

Sami sighed as she looked at Maike, "My father," she told him, "he wasn't too happy that I ran away a few years ago."

"What does he know?"

"Nothing," Sami answered, "I joined Cerberus to keep him off my back, I didn't expect him to find me."

Maike sighed, "Well, he did," he told her, "Now, I need to find some clothes," he looked around, "I don't suppose you have anything here?"

"Nothing except the experimental armor Cerberus gave me a week ago," she answered, "I'll go to the markets and find you something. Any preferences?"

"A black trench coat," Maike responded, and without another word Sami left.

**A few days later. **

Maike was standing in front of a bank machine, and was clearing out his entire account. With all the fees, Maike had about 900,000 credits, enough to survive for a while, but he would have to find a job. Maike turned around and saw Sami waiting for him, "They can track the withdrawal," she told him.

"That's why I did it next to afterlife," Maike responded, "anyway, if we need to disappear, we need to get rid of everything Cerberus that we have."

Sami nodded, "As soon as I get to the apartment, I'll get rid of my armor."

"Hold off on that," Maike told her, "I want to look at it first."

"Why?"

"I might be able to use parts of it," Maike told her.

When they got back to the apartment, Sami got her armor from the room that they had designated as her room, "Here it is," she told him as she brought out the armor case, "the prototype Phantom armor,"

Maike opened the case after she put it on the table, and looked at the armor, it included a very powerful Biotic amp, built into the armor, and a hand cannon, "Did they give you the maintenance manual?"

"The what?"

"I'll take that as a no," Maike said as he scanned the armor, "No shielding of any kind," he commented, "I think they expected you to use biotics to shield yourself, a good way to cut costs, but not a good way to keep troops."

"Okay," Sami said as she scratched her head.

Maike looked at the scans, "It looks like you can remove the hand cannon, and the biotic amplifier, but we would need some better tools to make sure they are functional."

"What do we need?"

"Umm, we need a micro-blade, wire cutters, and for what I'm thinking a welder," Maike told Sami, "Well, I think I'll be able to find those at one of the shops near afterlife, but I won't get my hopes up."

Maike was walking around the markets, and went into Harrot's, "Excuse me, but I need a single gauntlet, do you have any right now?"

"Pleased, I welcome you to my shop human," the elcor said, "confused, why only a single gauntlet?"

"Just a little science experiment," Maike told the elcor shopkeeper.

"Pleasantly, There may be something on the kiosk."

"Thank you," Maike said as he went to the kiosk. There was a pair of stabilization gauntlets that were fitted for a male. Maike bought them, "I'd like to take them myself."

"Vexed, Why would you want to do that?" Harrot asked.

"I am a little paranoid, that's all," Maike said.

The elcor slowly turned around and went into the back room. He brought out the stabilization gauntlets a few minutes later, and Maike paid for them with the credit chit that held all of his money, "You shouldn't keep all your money on one chit, someone could steal it."

"I'm not worried about that," Maike said as he grabbed the case that the gauntlets were in and walked to the adjacent store, where a batarian was talking to some customers, "Excuse me, do you have a welder, micro-blade, or wire cutters?"

"The welder, and wire cutters," the batarian asked as the other customers walked away, "the micro-blade, is pretty rare around here."

"How much for the first two?"

"50,000 credits," the batarian said.

"Why?"

"Do you know how rare these items are in this place?"

"I could find them cheaper somewhere else," Maike said.

"Not unless you are willing to risk the black markets."

Maike thought about it for a second. If he went to the black markets, he would risk being seen by a cerberus operative, and that wouldn't be very productive for him, "I'm not giving money to them."

"Then 50,000," the batarian said again.

"Fine, 50," he gave the batarian the credit chit, and the bararian gave him the the two items and his chit back.

Maike then went to look for the final item on his list, a micro-blade. He looked around the Omega markets, for what felt like a few hours. He finally found one in a small store that was in a dark corner, "Welcome, Human, to Kriskar's mechanical needs. What is it that you need?" asked a vorcha from behind the desk, that looked like it was repairing a paladin pistol.

"That microblade, on the shelf," Maike answered, "You're pretty friendly for a vorcha," Maike then saw a symbol on his shoulder, "Especially from the blood pack."

"Not always blood pack," Kriskar answered, "but pays when the shop doesn't," he went over to the shelf and got the micro-blade, and put it inside a box that was no bigger than the palm of his hand. Kriskar put the blade on the counter.

"How much?" Maike asked, not wanting to pay too much for it.

"What it worth," Kriskar answered Maike, "about 8,000."

"You sell pretty low compared to the other vendors," Maike commented as he gave over his credit chip.

"I don't pay blue suns for 'protection," he said using air-quotes over protection, before swiping the chit, and handing it back to Maike.

"Thanks," Maike said as he got the final tool that he needed, and headed back to the apartment.

**three weeks later, Omega apartment.**

Maike had just finished the modifications to the stabilization gauntlets, so that they would do two things. One, being that they could be put on without the need for full armor, and two, so that the phantom hand cannon, worked on them as well, "Is it finished yet?" he heard Sami ask when he started putting the stabilization gauntlets.

Maike looked at her, "Only one way to find out," he told her as he held his palm out at one of the targets he set up on the opposite wall, and flexed his hand a little. The hand cannon fired out a bolt that burned a hole into the side of the target, "I'll need to recalibrate the angle," Maike said to himself.

"It works!" Sami screamed, causing Maike to put his hands to his ears.

"Ow! Shit!" Maike screamed as he pulled the hand cannon away from the side of his face, "That thing burns."

"Sorry," Sami said with a innocent face, "didn't mean to."

"It's all right, just be more careful."

**A few days later. Omega apartments.**

"Maike tell me about your family," Sami requested from Maike as he sat on the couch, "I've told you about mine, so now you have to tell me about yours."

Maike raised his eyebrow, "You told me about your father," he chuckled, "So, I'll tell you about one family member."

"All right," Sami responded, "Siblings?"

"Yeah... I have one, a younger brother," Maike answered, "That who you want to hear about?"

"Yes," Sami answered as she sprawled herself out on the floor.

Maike chuckled, "Last time I saw him, I think that was about... seven... that's right, Seven years ago, right before I went to the alliance academy, he was about 15."

"Do you keep track of him?"

"I lost track of him, after he joined the alliance, I inspired him apparently," Maike told Sami, "but after all this, I think I'll pay him a visit, give him some much deserved praise."

Sami smiled, "That's good," she told Maike, "I think you could use the break."

"I really could," Maike responded closing his eyes, "maybe I could introduce the two of you."

"That would be great," Sami said as she stood up.

"I think..." Maike yawned, "that I'll sleep here tonight."

"All right," Sami responded, "goodnight."

Maike was soon sound asleep, though if people had just walked in, it would look like he was dead due to how silently he slept. Sami walked over to Maike and laid him across the couch, so that he was more comfortable, "Sweet dreams," she told him then kissed his forehead. Sami walked out of the living room, and went to bed.

**A few months later, Omega streets.**

Maike looked around the corner of the street, just in case there might be any hidden operatives. Apparently, Cerberus doesn't take kindly to deserters. Although, this was probably his fault, he did empty his entire account near afterlife, "Dumb ass," Maike said as he hit himself on the head, "I should have done it somewhere that wasn't near the markets."

Maike walked out into the street, staying close to the buildings, so that he was hidden in the shadows, "Hello Maike," he heard a familiar voice say from behind him. Maike turned around to see none other than his brother leaning on the wall, "It's good to see you again."

"Salim? What are you doing here?" Maike asked. He then saw the insignia on Salim's shoulder, "No..." he started to back away, "why?"

"Why not?" Salim asked as he calmly walked forward, "Why wouldn't I join Cerberus? You did the exact same thing."

"I did it for a reason," Maike told Salim as he stopped backing away, "I did it because they took my Fiancé away from me."

"Oh, poor Saria, she was killed by the collectors, you went down the drain," Salim mocked, "I read your damned file, but it seems you've got a new girl in your life... Sami, was it?"

Maike's eyes widened in fear, "What did you do?"

"Nothing... Yet," Salim said, "but we don't like it when you take our property. So, I'd like to ask for her back."

Maike grabbed Salim by the collar, "What do you mean?"

"We have a special project that we want her to... volunteer for."

"Volunteer, or be volunteered?"

"You say tomato, I say tomoto."

"You aren't going to lay a finger on her," Maike threatened in a low voice, "If you touch her I will-"

"You'll what? Kill your own brother?"

"I'll do what I have to," Maike finished.

"Bring her to me, or I'll personally lead a team to raid the filth you've been hiding in," Salim told Maike as he pushed away, "and maybe, I'll let you go. You have five galactic standard hours."

Without another word Maike took off running, back to the apartment.

"Sir, we don't know where they're hiding," a cerberus operative said coming out of the shadows.

"Yes, but he does," Salim said as Maike disappeared from sight, "and he'll lead us straight to it," he looked at his Omni-tool, and activated the tracker he placed on Maike when he pushed him away, "Prepare to raid their apartment... Shoot to kill, but I want the girl alive."

Maike ran back to the apartments, unaware of the tracking device that was on his chest. When he got to the top apartment where him and Sami stayed, he was panting, and sweating, "Maike what's wrong?" she asked as she ran to the exhausted man.

"Salim...Cerberus...Here, Five hours," Maike said before taking a deep breath.

"Who?"

"My brother, he's with Cerberus, and he's found us."

Sami saw the blinking light of the small transmitter on Maike's chest when he stood up straight, "What's this?" she asked as she picked it off his chest.

"Shit," Maike said as he leaned on the wall, "I led him straight here, I might be able to disable the signal if I can find its frequency," Maike opened the Omni-tool and started decrypting the frequency.

Sami looked around, "We have to-"

"Maike!" Salim's voice interrupted Sami as lights shined into the apartment, "I never intended on letting you live. It was because of you, because you left, Mom died, dad became a drunk, everything is your fault. Now, I've come to repay you for the hell you made my life."

"I've got good news and bad news," Maike said as he ducked behind the couch, "the good news, I found the frequency, bad, I did it too late."

"You think?" Sami asked sarcastically as she moved next to him.

"I have troops coming up the stairs as we speak, you have no escape," Salim announced.

Maike ran towards the kitchen, where he kept the modified stabilization gauntlets, and started putting them on.

Once he finished putting on the stabilization gauntlets, he ran out into the living room, and straight into the sight of the chopper, "Hello," he heard Salim say, before the chopper began firing on him.

"Shit," Maike cursed as he dove out of the way of the incoming fire.

Sami hit the ground, and waited for the fire to stop, and once it did, she heard the door open, "Over there!" a female operative shouted as she pointed at Sami.

Sami got up and used throw field to push two of the operatives into the wall, stunning them for the moment. She drew her sword, and held it backwards in one hand, as she let her other glow with biotics.

Maike stood up and shook his head, "I'll get you for this," he said to himself, "Sami! Hide, they are here for you!"

Sami looked at Maike as he pulled out his pistol, and readied the hand cannon for use, "But-"

"No buts! I'm not losing you!" Maike ran at the six operatives that were in the doorway.

Sami ran to the back of the apartment, "All right," she whispered to herself.

Maike tackled the first operative, a female, to the ground, and with a grunt rolled off of her. He came back up in the hallway, and fired his pistol at one of the other operatives, taking out his shields, and landing a shot on his leg, "I really need to learn how to aim," Maike said as another male operative held up his assault rifle. Maike held out his left hand, and flexed his fingers, firing the handcannon, decimating the man's shields, but not killing him.

"Concussive shot," the man said and from the barrel of his rifle, a concussive round was fired, and hit Maike square in the chest, knocking him headfirst into the wall, "the boss will want to kill him himself."

Maike felt a warm liquid coming from the back of his head, and touched the spot, he looked at his gloved hand, the tips of his fingers had blood on them.

Salim got off of the chopper on the rooftop of the apartment complex, which could be considered the sixth floor, and walked down the stairs, "Poor Maike," he said as he kicked him in the face, "all out of luck," Salim kicked him again, "Survived a crash, the death of the woman he loved, and an indoctrinated fuck, but now, he'll die by the hands of his brother."

Salim kept kicking him until they all heard, "Stop!" they all turned around to see Sami, "don't kill him, and I'll come peacefully."

"Sami... n-" Maike started, but was kicked in the face.

Salim turned back to Sami, "Fine, if you come peacefully, _I _won't kill him."

Sami looked at Maike who was now trying to stand up, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you die," She walked to the stairs, and went up towards Salim's chopper.

Salim watched then turned to the man who had stunned Maike, "Kill him," he told the man.

"You said... I would... live," Maike struggled to get out.

"I said that i wouldn't kill you," salim told maike, "I never said that I would leave you alive."

The man stood in front of the window as he aimed his gun, "Say goodnight," the man said, clearly enjoying his role as executioner.

Maike looked at the man, "You know, when you fall from a high place, it's not the fall that kills you," he told the man before using the last of his strength to rush the man, clearly catching him by surprise. The rush was enough to throw both Maike and the man, through the window, "It's the sudden stop at the bottom."

Maike kept the man in front of him, so that he would be the first one to hit the ground, and his body would become a barrier, protecting Maike from the shock of the drop, or at least most of it.

Maike felt both of them hit the ground, and all the air go out of his lungs, but at least he was alive for now, "You know, I think Sami still has that tracking beacon on her," Maike said as he rolled off of the corpse, "I can track her..." was the last thing that went through his mind before going unconscious.

**1 week later.**

Maike woke up in what looked like a clinic, "How did I get here?" he asked whoever was around him.

"You're up!" he heard someone practically scream.

"Keep it down," Maike said, his voice more strained than he wanted it to be.

"Sorry," the man said, "I'm Daniel," he introduced himself, "I run this clinic."

"How long?"

"About a week now," the doctor responded, "You're lucky you got in when you did, another hour, and I don't think you would have survived."

"A week?" Maike asked, "Shit, that's too long, who brought me in?"

"A vorcha, I think his name was Kriskar, but he carried you in here, then left," Daniel answered, "told us to contact him when you were back on your feet."

"Contact him," Maike told Daniel.

"But you just woke up," Daniel tried to protest.

"Contact him, I have important things to take care of as fast as possible."

"All right," Daniel said, "I'll call him," Daniel left the room.

**A few hours later.**

Kriskar entered the room where Daniel had Maike resting, "I see you are alive," he commented as he sat down beside the bed

"How did you find me?"

"I was passing by when you landed a few hundred meters away from me."

"Why?"

"Cerberus."

"I see," Maike said as he closed his eyes, "Why did you want to be contacted?"

"Obviously, they took something from you, precious, and Cerberus ruins the beauty in everything," Kriskar answered, "I want to know what."

"Not what, Who."

"Your friend?"

"My partner, and if I don't help her..."

"I will help save her."

"What? Why?"

"They will ruin beauty of your friend, make her something she isn't, that a crime to nature," Kriskar told Maike, "but two cannot fight Cerberus."

"I can."

"If you want to die, but you need rest now, I gather team."

"How long will that take?"

"Month, maybe more."

"We don't have that long!"

"That how long the doctor want you to rest," Kriskar answered calmly. The vorcha walked out of the room without another word.

**I really had fun with this chapter, and I hoped you like it, I think this ended a month or two after arrival, but I'm not sure, anyway until next time...**

**MN Arias.**


	29. David Goodman 3

**David Goodman 3**

**Written and submitted by Full-Paragon**

**Twenty seven months Later**

"Oof. I wish I were human." Delana groused, glaring down at her massive belly. She was rather far along, only a few weeks from giving birth.

Putting his hands around his wife's back and over the growing child, David nibbled at her head tentacles. "I certainly don't then I couldn't do this."

"Yes, but then I could pop them out in nine months. I've got to endure being a behemoth for three times that long!"

"Oh, it's not so bad. It just requires creativity."

"Oh you! Stop that, or you'll be late. And you missed your last little session. Grumbar sounded worried on the vidcom."

"Are you sure? I don't mind if you're going to need any help."

"Citti can help me if I need anything, and Dora's over at that sleep over. You go have fun with 'The Guys.'"

"Alright. Call me if you need anything."

"I won't, and you know it."

"Fine. Citti, call me if mommy needs anything."

"Daaaaaaddd..."

"Fine, fine, I'm gone."

Grabbing his jacket and keys, David headed out to the family ground car and headed out to the shooting range. Being friends with a krogan and a batarian, David's pastimes tended toward the violent. Himself, he preferred RPG gaming and books, but after the last disaster that had been their previous Exalted gaming session, a krogan solar exalted was just not meant to be, David was willing to head back to the shooting range.

He got there and checked out his personal weapons, he refused to keep mass accelerators in a house with two biotic school children and a pregnant wife, then headed to the end of the range where Akkar and Grumbar were working on a weapons bench.

"Goodman." Grumbar grunted as he attached an extended thermal clip to his shotgun.

"Grumbar."

"Hey, Goodman! 'Bout time you got here! I was afraid you'd developed ovaries and decided to stay at home with Del and whine about how long pregnancy lasts."

"Oh come on Akkar, give the women a break. Both of our species carry kids to term in less than half the time it takes an asari."

"Least your species have kids." Grumbar rumbled.

David winced, and Akkar rolled all four of her eyes. One of the reasons Grumbar worshiped the ground Ithina walked on was that she had given the krogan children. It had been a lifelong dream of the centuries old man, and when he had actually found an asari that was not only willing to have his babies, but enthused to have such a pliable, hard working mate, Grumbar had settled down to being the best parent he could be. Which meant that his older daughter, 50 at this point, was on the asari high school shooting team, and was deadlier then most commandos five times her age. Not to mention Yithil had biotics that could rip even Grumbar in half. Which to hear Grumbar talk, she attempted on a regular basis. You could practically see the krogan glow with pride whenever he discussed the vicious sparing bouts he and his daughter had three times a week.

Grabbing her pistol, Akkar snorted in Grumbar's face. "Don't start the 'woe is my species' line on me pal. At least your people know they're doomed. Mine are too stupid to even realize it."

"Geeze, and I thought I left home to get away from the whining." David quipped.

"Point." Grumbar growled, lifting his gun to inspect his work.

"Again with the points!" Akkar snapped.

The krogan glanced at the livid batarian "You're still ahead."

"I am? By how much?"

"Two, last time I counted."

"Which was?"

"Just now."

"HA! In your face Goodman!"

"Hey, at least my bondmate doesn't put a bag over mine before we go to bed."

"Point."

"He'tish! Come on Goodman, let's see if you've gotten any better. A drunk pyjak could shoot better then you."

Putting on his ear and eye protection, Goodman stepped up with Akkar and raised his Predator. It was a new model, a gift from Delana only the year before. He had even modded the gun with a scope that hooked up to his visor, and recoil dampener that had dramatically reduced the kick. He did pretty good with his first thermal, so good in fact that he beat Akkar's score.

"What's the matter four-eyes? Can't see straight tonight."

"You laugh human, but my minds not on it. You hear about Aratoht?"

"Yeah, didn't that whole colony go dark?"

"That's not the latest news. I heard on the way over. Your Commander Shepard blew the whole damn planet up."

"Oh come on Akkar, you can't seriously believe that bull about Shepard rising from the grave with some terrorist shadow backing? I was at her funeral for crying out loud!"

"You can't believe everything you hear in the media, Goodman, but this is for real."

"She was on vid." Grumbar held his omnitool up and showed a short clip.

"Commander Shepard, how do you pled to the charges?" Some alliance politico was saying.

"It was necessary your honor." David gasped in shock as the camera panned to a woman that was clearly the formerly deceased commander, in full dress blues. "The Reaper's would have been through that Relay in a few more minutes. I regret every death, but every single one of those batarians was dead anyway."

"Ah yes, your, 'Reapers.' Let's talk about them..." Grumbar waved the vid away and hefted his gun, stepping up to his own firing station.

"Damn, are you for real? I'm so sorry Akkar."

"What? Don't be. Shepard was right to destroy the colony if the Reapers were there."

"Are you serious? How many millions died for that? Everyone knows the Reapers are just a conspiracy theory."

"No, they are not!" Akkar shouted. "They are real Goodman, and they are coming. You had best pray they don't come here."

"To Thessia? Give me a break. Nothing and no one can assault us here. The only safe place would be maybe Palaven."

"Urdnot Wrex has returned," Grumbar rumbled. "I'm thinking of telling Ithina we need to go to Tuchanka. Prepare for the war. He says the Reapers will be here soon. The clans have to unite."

David felt his jaw drop as he turned to gape at the krogan, who was calmly firing his shotgun with pinpoint accuracy. Well, as pinpoint as a Graal Spike-Thrower got. "You're telling Ithina what to do?"

"I told her it might be an option." Grumbar answered, pausing as he put in a new thermal clip. "Time are changing. I was Urdnot, once. I might need to be so again. Wrex is from the old times, but he's got new ideas. A Tuchanka under his leadership is one I could raise my girls on."

"You have to be kidding. Ithina would never go for it!"

"Tuchanka will be safer than Thessia. The asari are a target. The krogan are not." Grumbar answered. "She's said she'll do whatever I decide is best. She's scared. You should be too."

For a very brief moment, David was. But then he remember this was his life. Nothing bad ever really happened to him, and he lived on the safest planet in the galaxy. No one messed with the asari. Even if the Reapers were real, how could they hope to take on the Thessian navy?

"Whatever. Come on, if you're going to be all doom and gloom, at least let it improve your accuracy."

"Now that's the spirit human!" Akkar crowed. "Take the safety of your family in your own too hands!"

At the end of the night, David went to the front desk to check his supplies back in. But then, he hesitated.

"Something wrong Goodman?" Tiberius, the turian owner asked.

"I think I'll be holding on to my piece. Need to work on it at home." David answered.

Tiberius twitched an inquisitive mandible at David, but when no replay was forthcoming, the turian just nodded. "Lots of folks doing that lately. You want a few spare thermals? On the house. You're a good customer, and I know you'd never do anything that might hurt your family."

"Yeah, that'd be great."

Tiberius reached under the counter and passed David two full packs of clips. "There you go. Don't say I never did anything for you."

"Yeah, thanks. Take care Tib."

"Uh-huh. Kiss your wife for me. She's about due up ain't she?"

"Three more weeks."

"Congrats. You're a lucky man, I've only got one at home myself."

"Good night Tib."

"Night."

When David got home, the first thing he did was show Del the predator and teacher the combo. Then he put the briefcase in the family safe and locked it up.

Seven months later, David would decide that was the wisest thing he had ever done.

**Twenty seven months Later**

"Oof. I wish I were human." Delana groused, glaring down at her massive belly. She was rather far along, only a few weeks from giving birth.

Putting his hands around his wife's back and over the growing child, David nibbled at her head tentacles. "I certainly don't then I couldn't do this."

"Yes, but then I could pop them out in nine months. I've got to endure being a behemoth for three times that long!"

"Oh, it's not so bad. It just requires creativity."

"Oh you! Stop that, or you'll be late. And you missed your last little session. Grumbar sounded worried on the vidcom."

"Are you sure? I don't mind if you're going to need any help."

"Citti can help me if I need anything, and Dora's over at that sleep over. You go have fun with 'The Guys.'"

"Alright. Call me if you need anything."

"I won't, and you know it."

"Fine. Citti, call me if mommy needs anything."

"Daaaaaaddd..."

"Fine, fine, I'm gone."

Grabbing his jacket and keys, David headed out to the family ground car and headed out to the shooting range. Being friends with a krogan and a batarian, David's pastimes tended toward the violent. Himself, he preferred RPG gaming and books, but after the last disaster that had been their previous Exalted gaming session, a krogan solar exalted was just not meant to be, David was willing to head back to the shooting range.

He got there and checked out his personal weapons, he refused to keep mass accelerators in a house with two biotic school children and a pregnant wife, then headed to the end of the range where Akkar and Grumbar were working on a weapons bench.

"Goodman." Grumbar grunted as he attached an extended thermal clip to his shotgun.

"Grumbar."

"Hey, Goodman! 'Bout time you got here! I was afraid you'd developed ovaries and decided to stay at home with Del and whine about how long pregnancy lasts."

"Oh come on Akkar, give the women a break. Both of our species carry kids to term in less than half the time it takes an asari."

"Least your species have kids." Grumbar rumbled.

David winced, and Akkar rolled all four of her eyes. One of the reasons Grumbar worshiped the ground Ithina walked on was that she had given the krogan children. It had been a lifelong dream of the centuries old man, and when he had actually found an asari that was not only willing to have his babies, but enthused to have such a pliable, hard working mate, Grumbar had settled down to being the best parent he could be. Which meant that his older daughter, 50 at this point, was on the asari high school shooting team, and was deadlier then most commandos five times her age. Not to mention Yithil had biotics that could rip even Grumbar in half. Which to hear Grumbar talk, she attempted on a regular basis. You could practically see the krogan glow with pride whenever he discussed the vicious sparing bouts he and his daughter had three times a week.

Grabbing her pistol, Akkar snorted in Grumbar's face. "Don't start the 'woe is my species' line on me pal. At least your people know they're doomed. Mine are too stupid to even realize it."

"Geeze, and I thought I left home to get away from the whining." David quipped.

"Point." Grumbar growled, lifting his gun to inspect his work.

"Again with the points!" Akkar snapped.

The krogan glanced at the livid batarian "You're still ahead."

"I am? By how much?"

"Two, last time I counted."

"Which was?"

"Just now."

"HA! In your face Goodman!"

"Hey, at least my bondmate doesn't put a bag over mine before we go to bed."

"Point."

"He'tish! Come on Goodman, let's see if you've gotten any better. A drunk pyjak could shoot better then you."

Putting on his ear and eye protection, Goodman stepped up with Akkar and raised his Predator. It was a new model, a gift from Delana only the year before. He had even modded the gun with a scope that hooked up to his visor, and recoil dampener that had dramatically reduced the kick. He did pretty good with his first thermal, so good in fact that he beat Akkar's score.

"What's the matter four-eyes? Can't see straight tonight."

"You laugh human, but my minds not on it. You hear about Aratoht?"

"Yeah, didn't that whole colony go dark?"

"That's not the latest news. I heard on the way over. Your Commander Shepard blew the whole damn planet up."

"Oh come on Akkar, you can't seriously believe that bull about Shepard rising from the grave with some terrorist shadow backing? I was at her funeral for crying out loud!"

"You can't believe everything you hear in the media, Goodman, but this is for real."

"She was on vid." Grumbar held his omnitool up and showed a short clip.

"Commander Shepard, how do you pled to the charges?" Some alliance politico was saying.

"It was necessary your honor." David gasped in shock as the camera panned to a woman that was clearly the formerly deceased commander, in full dress blues. "The Reaper's would have been through that Relay in a few more minutes. I regret every death, but every single one of those batarians was dead anyway."

"Ah yes, your, 'Reapers.' Let's talk about them..." Grumbar waved the vid away and hefted his gun, stepping up to his own firing station.

"Damn, are you for real? I'm so sorry Akkar."

"What? Don't be. Shepard was right to destroy the colony if the Reapers were there."

"Are you serious? How many millions died for that? Everyone knows the Reapers are just a conspiracy theory."

"No, they are not!" Akkar shouted. "They are real Goodman, and they are coming. You had best pray they don't come here."

"To Thessia? Give me a break. Nothing and no one can assault us here. The only safe place would be maybe Palaven."

"Urdnot Wrex has returned," Grumbar rumbled. "I'm thinking of telling Ithina we need to go to Tuchanka. Prepare for the war. He says the Reapers will be here soon. The clans have to unite."

David felt his jaw drop as he turned to gape at the krogan, who was calmly firing his shotgun with pinpoint accuracy. Well, as pinpoint as a Graal Spike-Thrower got. "You're telling Ithina what to do?"

"I told her it might be an option." Grumbar answered, pausing as he put in a new thermal clip. "Time are changing. I was Urdnot, once. I might need to be so again. Wrex is from the old times, but he's got new ideas. A Tuchanka under his leadership is one I could raise my girls on."

"You have to be kidding. Ithina would never go for it!"

"Tuchanka will be safer than Thessia. The asari are a target. The krogan are not." Grumbar answered. "She's said she'll do whatever I decide is best. She's scared. You should be too."

For a very brief moment, David was. But then he remember this was his life. Nothing bad ever really happened to him, and he lived on the safest planet in the galaxy. No one messed with the asari. Even if the Reapers were real, how could they hope to take on the Thessian navy?

"Whatever. Come on, if you're going to be all doom and gloom, at least let it improve your accuracy."

"Now that's the spirit human!" Akkar crowed. "Take the safety of your family in your own too hands!"

At the end of the night, David went to the front desk to check his supplies back in. But then, he hesitated.

"Something wrong Goodman?" Tiberius, the turian owner asked.

"I think I'll be holding on to my piece. Need to work on it at home." David answered.

Tiberius twitched an inquisitive mandible at David, but when no replay was forthcoming, the turian just nodded. "Lots of folks doing that lately. You want a few spare thermals? On the house. You're a good customer, and I know you'd never do anything that might hurt your family."

"Yeah, that'd be great."

Tiberius reached under the counter and passed David two full packs of clips. "There you go. Don't say I never did anything for you."

"Yeah, thanks. Take care Tib."

"Uh-huh. Kiss your wife for me. She's about due up ain't she?"

"Three more weeks."

"Congrats. You're a lucky man, I've only got one at home myself."

"Good night Tib."

"Night."

When David got home, the first thing he did was show Del the predator and teacher the combo. Then he put the briefcase in the family safe and locked it up.

Seven months later, David would decide that was the wisest thing he had ever done.


	30. Russell Tripp 3: Over the Horizon

**Russel Tripp 3: Over the Horizon**

**Written and submitted by thebluninja**

Russell sighed heavily. His second tour, aboard the _SSV Orizaba_, was almost over. In six more months, he'd be transferring to the _Einstein_, and part of his couldn't wait. Because then he wouldn't be standing in a passageway, polishing a six-inch-square brass plaque for half an hour. Then he got to move to the next one down the line. "Stupid fucking four hour field day," he grumbled under his breath.

He scowled down at his omni-tool, currently playing something bright, cheery, and Celtic, that simply didn't suit his mood at all right now. He flipped through song after song, finally letting it play one of the few Expel 10 songs he actually liked. Humming along, he returned to polishing, discovering that the bottle of shining compound had run out. "Oh what the fuckstick," he complained, refraining from hurling it into the wall. Setting down his polishing rag, he turned to head towards the Hazmat station and get the bottle refilled, when he crashed into someone.

Blinking, he focused enough to quickly take in the Captain bars, and an equally surprised Captain Shepard. "Oh shit, sorry, ma'am! I didn't hear you coming," he apologized quickly.

"It's fine, petty officer," she said distractedly, then frowned, focusing on his face. "You look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

He swallowed carefully. "Ah, yes, ma'am. I was one of your honor guard on board the Citadel." Of course, wearing coveralls splattered with paint and dried omni-flux, he was a long way from looking that good. For all he knew, he probably had brass polish smeared on his face. Surreptitiously, he tried to get a glance at his face in the brass plate he had been working on, but the carefully engraved letters distorted the reflection too much for him to be sure. "Did you need something, ma'am?"

Hannah just stood there, obviously lost in thought, before focusing on his face again. "You have family, Tripp?" she asked, leaning against the opposite bulkhead.

_A little familiar for the CO to a mid-ranked junior crewman, but ok, whatever,_ he thought. "Yes ma'am. Older sister, younger brother."

"You in touch with all of them?" Her voice sounded a mixture of wistful and pissed off.

He shrugged. "Kind of. It's not easy to keep in touch when we're constantly going up and down the Traverse. I'm just glad they're pretty much all back on Earth."

"Pretty much? One of them move out to the colonies?"

He tried to restrain a wince. "Yes, ma'am. My dad just got a new job on Shanxi, and my brother went with him. Full scholarship at Shanxi U." He was kind of proud of his little brother, even if Arthur did get on his nerves something awful.

She seemed lost in thought again, so as quietly as he could, he picked up the bottle again and started to step backwards, towards the exit out to the shuttle bay. "What would you do," she asked quietly, "if you were told he was dead, and then someone said he wasn't?"

_Aw shit, why me?_ Russell wasn't stupid, the rumors had been flying all over the ship for _weeks_ now. About how Commander Shepard was back from the dead, flying around the Traverse and the Terminus systems, wearing Cerberus colors. Obviously Captain Shepard had heard the same rumors. Did this mean there was some stock to them? "Well," he tried to stall, "I guess it would depend on who it was. My sister did kind of drop off the map for a bit when mom told her we wouldn't be attending her wedding."

Hannah raised an eyebrow, and he struggled to get back on topic. Last thing he needed was for some chief or lieutenant to walk in and find him jawing with the fucking CO. "But I suppose I'd try to look them up, send an e-mail, find out if it was really them, or just someone trying to yank my chain." He hesitated another moment, and couldn't help from blurting out, "Do you want the rumor to be true?"

She stared at him, eyes sad. "You don't have children, do you?" He shook his head wordlessly. "Any parent who's had to bury their child could wish for their return more fervently." Straightening up, she nodded to him, and strode back off the way she came.

He waited until she was out of sight, and shook his head. "Thousands of people on this damn ship, and she asks for _my_ fucking advice," he muttered as he opened the door to trudge across the shuttle bay, past twelve craft of varying sizes, to the nearest hazmat station. "Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo stick."

_Two weeks later, Horizon orbit_

Russell stood in the shuttle bay in dress uniform. All of the survivors of the colony were being brought on board for debriefing, and relocation if they chose. Nearly two thirds of the colony had vanished with these 'Collectors,' but still, that meant a quarter of a million people to sort through.

The first shuttle load was due to arrive in the next five minutes, and he, naturally, had drawn one of the first watches. The very first load was supposed to be what remained of the colony leadership, along with one Alliance agent who was on the planet. "You've done the whole spit'n'polish thing before, Tripp," Chief Quanqin had told him, "so you get to do it again. Escort them up to the CO's briefing room, standby in case they need to go anywhere else."

So here he was, waiting for them to arrive. Which was supposed to have been two hours ago, then an hour ago, then half an hour ago, and now, he glanced at his omni-tool, three minutes to go. At least they had actually left the surface, according to the flight controller.

Almost on schedule (his omni-tool had them a minute and a half late), the doors slid open, the shuttle passing through the air shields on schedule and landing gently in the designated slot. Seven people stepped out of the Kodiak, six of them obviously civilian, the last a vaguely-familiar Alliance officer. Without thinking, Russell rattled off the practiced spiel, and led them through several corridors and up two flights of stairs.

Knocking three times as required, he opened the door, stepping aside at attention. "Lieutenant Alenko, Governor Mohammed," he lost the rest as the name finally connected in his consciousness. _Alenko, that was one of the officers that served with her daughter! The biotic guy. He was on the team that took down Saren._

With everyone inside, he silently stepped back into the antechamber, closing the door and sitting gingerly on the edge of a chair. He could guess there were several reasons why Alenko had looked ready to kill someone when he stepped off the shuttle, but only one reason he'd glared at Captain Hannah like that. "The rumors are true," he whispered to himself. "Commander Shepard, hero of the Citadel, is a Cerberus terrorist."

It just didn't sound right, and he repeated it to himself twice more, thankful no one else was waiting in the little waiting room outside. His thoughts were whirling around. How could a hero like that, someone who had welcomed aliens onto her ship, had _slept_ with an asari if he'd read things right, now work for the most notorious anti-alien group in Alliance space? Something didn't add up here. Thankfully, such things were far, far above his paygrade.

With nothing better to do, he turned on his omni-tool. The newest book for the _Prothean RPG_ had come out only the week before, and he'd been able to download a copy while they were in orbit. This one detailed the Inusannon species and their doomed revolt. Alecia was running their game, and he had a feeling their next couple of sessions were going to include this stuff.

With twice the concentration and attention to detail that he put towards studying for the next advancement exam, he flipped through the pages of the game book for the next three hours. The swish of the door opening startled him badly enough he almost fell out of the chair, instantly deactivating his omni-tool and leaping to his feet.

"Easy there, shipmate," Alenko said. "I need to visit your med bay."

"Absolutely, sir. Right this way," Russell said quickly. In a straight line, it wasn't that far away. Just down six flights of stairs and around the corner, basically. "Here you go, sir. Do you need me to wait here?"

"No, head back up. Unlike the rest of the Horizon delegates, I know my way aboard a ship. I just need to get some headache medication," Alenko dismissed him, walking inside.

_Fuck, I hope he doesn't say anything about me reading,_ Russell thought as he took the stairs at a steady pace. Another hour went by uneventfully before the door opened again. "Our civilian guests are done here, petty officer," Captain Shepard informed him. "Take them back to the shuttle, then inform Lieutenant Alenko he should check in with the SUPO to get a bunk assignment."

"Aye aye, ma'am. Gentlemen, ladies, if you'll follow me?" He led the civilians, all of whom looked rather shell-shocked and weary, back to the shuttle. He watched them board, heading back down to medical to try and track Alenko's movements, only to find the LT still there. "Ah, Lieutenant? Captain Shepard asked me to take you to the SUPO for a bunk assignment."

He nodded, eyes still closed. "You ever get a migraine, Petty Officer?"

"Only after a really bad night of drinking Skyllian whiskey, sir," he responded, before instantly turning bright red. _Why the FUCK did I just SAY that?_ he asked himself, before Alenko started chuckling.

"Amen to that," he answered, cracking his eyes open just enough to see. "SUPO still on the third deck, way the hell up forward?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Lead the way, then. I'll let you keep people the hell out of my way, so I don't run into someone because I can barely see where I'm going." He stood up from the chair, eyes still slitted barely open.

"You alright, sir?" Russell asked as they went up one more deck and started the long trek forward.

"I'm an L2," he answered, apparently seeing the knowing nod. "They're actually looking into whether or not they can replace them, but the surgery prognosis is pretty dismal."

"I wouldn't know, sir. No biotics come out of Las Vegas, though plenty go in." Alenko laughed, before wincing.

"With wit like that, you're either going to get denied re-enlistment, or end up as the goddamn MCPOAN," Alenko said.

"Can I hope for the first one?" Russell asked, his grin hidden as he led the way.

"In that case, it's definitely MCPOAN," Alenko retorted. "Trust me, I have a sense for these kind of things."

"Glad to hear it, sir," and the rest of their walk went by in a companionable silence. Biotics didn't go into spacecraft maintenance, so it wasn't like he was ever going to serve with the man again, but it would be nice to get a division officer who was as cool as this. Turning him over to the commander in charge of supply, Russell gratefully headed back towards his own bunk, three decks up and halfway back the length of the ship. His back was _killing_ him from all this stupid standing at attention.

*: MCPOAN in this case would be Master Chief Petty Officer of Alliance Navy. Basically, the highest an enlisted person can go without becoming an officer. A rank which I, the author, has absolutely zero chance of ever attaining.


	31. William Hagebak 3: Shore Leave

**William Hagebak 3: Shore leave**

**Written and Submitted by unity9**

Lieutenant Commander William Hagebak stepped out of the air lock and take in the sights. He looks around the sights of Nos Astra, Illium while only carrying a large suitcase and wearing his civilian clothes. He was advised not to wear his Alliance dress blues so close to the Terminus systems, because despite the beautiful landscape created by the asari, this is where one could say _that this is where Citadel space ends and the lawless Terminus begins_ or vice versa.

Now this was supposed to be an intelligence gathering mission, but the high command insists on the mission being "low-key" and not to attract too much attention to himself. However, he was officially on leave and taking in the sights of Illium. Some of the passengers on board the shuttle he took saw him as a soldier getting ready for a long weekend in the Red Light District called Azure. To Hagebak, that's the perfect cover.

Hagebak gazes at the endless view which is Illium and says to himself. "This is truly impressive. Almost reminds me of home."

After he checks into his hotel room, he decided to check out the neighborhood of where he's staying. He was staying rather close to an office where he is supposed to contact an asari maiden who is already a top notch information broker. Before he hits the streets, he takes one last look at his mission statements on his data pad. The asari he is to gather the information from is named Liara T'Soni. He knows of this woman since she was part of Shepard's team and she was the daughter of the traitor Matriarch Benenzia. She was an archeologist who got caught up with Shepard's hunt for Saren and she proved to be a valuable asset to her team.

What he also learned that Shepard was romantically involved with the asari doctor vicariously through the sleazy tabloid hounds. Hagebak already hated Yellow Journalism and questioning Shepard's choice of lover made him hate those reporters even more, because they had no respect for the woman's privacy. They only left her alone only because she has passed away. _Leeches_ he thought. Now they're at it again, saying Shepard has been sighted on the Citadel.

His meeting with T'Soni will have to wait till morning, because her office is closed and he didn't feel like trying to find her at this time of night… or whatever is considered night on this planet. He steps out of the hotel building and look for the local watering hole.

The first place Hadebak came to was a bar called Eternity. The atmosphere inside the bar was nothing special except the bars he has frequently visited were mostly human customers. He was never accustomed to going to places where multi-species were gathering for drinks, but it never bothered him before. The first time he went to a bar with more non-humans was at a place called Flux on the Citadel Wards when he was on twenty-four hour shore leave one time. It was an interesting experience, but he was afraid of getting in a fight with some xenophobic alien. Not that he was afraid to fight an alien since he is a highly trained individual, able to fight and kill a species other than his own. He was more fearful of having to explain himself to local law enforcement and possibly get charged for assault. That would look bad on a military record especially when you're an officer.

The crowd tends to be a mild bunch. There were a few asari in the corner, a human and a salarian talking to each other at a table, a krogan walking by with a large glass of neon green liquor, and human couple sitting at a table. The danger doesn't seem to be a high threat risk, but he remained vigilant.

He approached the bar and he was greeted by an asari. She smiles at him and says. "Welcome to Eternity. I'm matriarch Aethyta your bartender. What'll you have?"

"Depends." He gives the asari a warm smile. "What's the popular drink around here?"

"Well, the Palaven Sunrise is pretty popular." She adds with a coy smile. "But, that only works if you're a turian or a quarian. I have some top shelf asari and hanar liquor. It's pretty fruity, but judging by your build I'd say you're in the military. A tough guy like you would want this." She opens a bottle and pours the contents into an empty glass.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Batarian ale." She said "I think the term you humans have is 'guaranteed to put hair on your chest.' Am I right?"

"Yeah, thanks." Hageback takes a sip of the cocktail and slightly shivers. "Strong, but not bad. I'm Will, by the way." He extends his right hand to shake the bartender's hand.

She takes the hand and shakes. "Nice to meet you, Will. What brings a military guy like you to Nos Astra? Shore leave?"

He rubs his shaved head and smiles. "Is the military looking that obvious on me? To answer your question, yes."

"Here for the glorious sights of Azure?" She asked with another coy smile.

"Maybe, but I might get lucky with a certain bartender I just met." He smiles and raises his eyebrows in a humorist fashion.

Then Aethyta places her hands on her hips and makes a halfhearted smile. "Well that depends on a couple of things. How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight." He honestly answers.

"I'm close to a thousand years old." She replied. "Still interested?"

"Well now I am." Hagebak said slightly cackling. "Never had a problem with women who were twenty, thirty, nine hundred years older than I am. So I can get past the thought that my ancestors was swinging swords and attacking castles when you were just a girl. Heh heh. What's the other thing?"

"Well, I always had a thing for asses." She tells him. "How's yours?"

He stood up and turned around to make sure she got a look at his rear.

Aethyta gives a somewhat approval nod. "Not bad, kid. Not bad."

Hagebak laughs. "I'm just going to walk around a bit. I'll be back to order another later if this stuff doesn't knock me down on my ass which now you approve of."

She smiles and shakes her head from the impromptu flirting and Hagebak walks over to the far side of the bar. When he approaches the ledge of the balcony, he hears someone call his name with a familiar drawl of an accent.

"Hagebak! Is that you?" The voice asked.

He quickly turns around to see that the voice belonged to a familiar character he hasn't seen in such a long time. It was Ken Donnelly. Hagebak hasn't seen him since boot camp. He was also part of Division 609 back when they were training in Great Lakes or _Great Mistakes_ as they like to call it. Hagebak noticed that Ken was wearing a black and white outfit with an eerily familiar logo patch on both shoulders.

"Donnelly?" Hagebak's smile grew big.

"Aye, how's it been?" Ken said while the two men give each other a big hand shake that followed with a bear hug.

"Not too bad." The two men sat down across from each other. "When I heard that thick Scottish accent, I thought _no way_."

"That's right." Ken smiled. "Small galaxy, huh? So what brings you here?"

"I'm on leave." Hagebak said. "I heard of Illium so much I thought of checking it out. Are you on leave too?"

"Shore leave. Actually, I'm afraid to say that I am no longer part of the Alliance, Will." Ken confessed.

Hagebak eyes widened as he couldn't believe what he has heard. "What? What happened?"

Another voice came from the side. It belonged to a woman with a North American Midwestern accent. "He can't keep his mouth shut when he should, that's what happened."

Hagebak looked to the side and see a woman with auburn hair, pale skin, she was holding two drinks, and she was dressed in the same outfit as Ken was. She places the first drink down in front of Ken and the other next to his seat.

Hagebak stood up and shakes hands with the woman. "Hi, I'm Will Hagebak."

"Gabby Daniels." She said.

"Oi, Gab." Ken points to Hagebak. "This is my friend from Great Lakes. We were in the same boot camp division together."

"Yeah, again so tell me what happened?" Hagebak asked again.

"After Shepard's death, the brass lost their brass and backslid into politics." Ken said. "They destroyed what she fought for. I couldn't keep my mouth shut."

"And he's lucky too." Gabby shakes her head. "He would've been court martialed if he wasn't one of the best engineers in the galaxy."

"But my public ranting got me noticed and I got another job from it." Ken said smiling. "I was allowed to leave the Alliance voluntarily to go work for this new group."

"Who are you working for now?" Hagebak asked.

"Sorry, mate." Ken said. "It's classified. But let's just say they're doing something about the Reaper threat that the Alliance and the Council refuse to acknowledge."

"Alright, but what about you?" Hagebak looks at Gabby. "Were you in the Alliance?"

"Yes, but I joined him." Gabby plainly states.

"Oh, so are you two? You know?" Hagebak was making the insinuation that the two are a couple.

"No, we're not." Gabby was quick to answer. "Uh, I mean we're just friends. He wouldn't know what to do without me. We met in Tech School and we've been inseparable ever since so naturally I went where he went."

"That's sweet." Hagebak smiled and she blushed. Then he changed the subject as he moved closer to make a whisper. "If I'd known better, judging by the logos on your shirts. I'd say you were working for Cerberus. Say it ain't so, Ken?"

Ken was quiet for a moment. He takes a sip of his drink and moves his head towards Hagebak. "I'm afraid it is."

"Why?" Hagebak narrows his eyes. "Cerberus is a xenophobic terrorist organization. You never fit the type as a human supremacist. Hell, I remember you constantly talk about, what did you say back in boot? That's right you wanted to be 'swimming in blue' when you get to the fleet."

"It's not what you think, Will." Ken assured his old friend. "Cerberus is the only group willing to do something about the Reaper threat. We're investigating the disappearance of the human colonies in the Terminus. We found out that it's the Collectors."

Gabby interjects. "Hell, the crew that was assembled on our ship was also ex-Alliance and also shared the same attitude as me and Ken here. We've been also assembling ground team members from all over the galaxy, specialists to be exact and they happen to be aliens. Come to think of if, the only dedicated Cerberus operative on our ship is the ship's XO. Yeah and he just can't keep his eyes off her."

"I can't help it if she's always wearing that cat suit." Ken defended himself then he changed the subject and gives the Lieutenant Commander a cheeky smile. "Right now our ship's commander is out recruiting an asari Justicar and an assassin. So what really brings you to Illium? Do you want to swim in blue?"

"I should be tired of hearing that." Hagebak shrugged and quietly explains himself. "Well I came here to relax and everyone assumes I'm here for the asari scenery. But I'm really here to pick up some intel for the Alliance and the intel comes from unofficial sources. It's about…" He urges the two to come close to him and he whispers what he really is doing on Illium.

"So the Alliance is doing…" Gabby tried to say her part, but she was visually told to be quiet when Hagebak placed his right index finger over his closed mouth.

"Let's keep that on the down-low for now. Let's just say the walls have ears." He told Ken and Gabby. "Now how long till you guys have until you get back to your ship?"

"Twenty-four hours." Ken told him. "How about we drink for a while?"

Hagebak gives Ken a Cheshire cat grin. "Sounds like fun. So, who is your ship's captain?"

"Hold on to your seat for this one." Ken smiles. "It's Commander Shepard."

If Hagebak had been drinking at that moment, he would've spit it out. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why would Ken of all people be joking about this? There has to be a logical explanation for all this.

"What?" Hagebak asked curiously. "You mean someone with the same name as Shepard, right?"

"No." Ken said. "Shepard herself. She's alive."

"He's telling the truth." Gabby said. "Cerberus is also responsible for bringing her back to life from a project called 'Lazarus'."

"So the rumors are true." Hagebak was shaking his head in disbelief. "This is great. This calls for a celebration. Humanity got its savior back."

Hagebak, Donnelly, and Daniels sat at the table and drank for a couple of hours. Often the conversations were about talking about the memories they had back in boot camp.

Ken had just finished his eighth glass of scotch and the thick Scottish slang was coming out when he talked. "That scotch was the right amount of _hauf_. That _auld braw_ asari bartender knows her drink." Then Ken changes the subject. "Remember when we did the 'in house' PT where we had to find out who could hold the push-up position the longest?"

"How could I not forget?" Hagebak laughs after finishing his third batarian ale which would be the equivalent of twelve beers.

"What happened?" Gabby almost slurred when she asked.

Ken happily explained. "Well, Anderson our drill instructor was making us do push-ups and then he wanted to know who could hold the 'up' position the longest. Out of the entire division, almost everyone dropped. Everyone, except Will and some _fannybawbag_ recruit. Who was it? Martinez, that's right. Martinez was barely holding on when Will here was only starting to sweat. Then Martinez drops and Will wins the contest. The only prize is that you get to be the _belter_ recruit and what was it that Anderson said to you?"

Hagebak happily explained. "He said, 'Hagebak? Did you grow up on a farm or something? You're like some big dumb farm animal, aren't ya?'"

They all snickered at the response. Ken said. "Fun times."

"Yeah, but I hate to say it but I have to get up in the morning." Hagebak sets his glass down. "I have to see an information broker in the morning and coming in reeking of booze scented sweat isn't going to help."

"Aye, don't be too _pished_ before tomorrow and I don't want to be too _jaked_ getting back to the ship." Ken looks at Gabby. "You be a nice_ lassy_ and help me to the Normandy?"

"I must've had too much to drink, myself." Gabby laughs. "Because I think I understand what he's saying."

"With all the translator tech we have, only the booze can translate what he says." Hagebak laughs.

XXX

Hagebak woke up around what would be considered six' o clock am on standard Alliance time. His head was pounding from the strength of those batarian ales from the night before. He didn't regret having those drinks, especially it meant seeing an old friend again and knowing that Commander Shepard is alive and well.

Now was the time to see Dr. Liara T'Soni, but before he did such a thing, he dove straight into the bathroom. He could still taste the residue of those batarian ales in his mouth so the first thing he did was brush his teeth like they were going on sale. After his mouth was cleansed, he completed his hygiene routine with a shower, a shave, applying his deodorant, and finishes off by taking his vitamins. He put on his civvies, but not before holstering a pistol inside a special holster located at the lower portion of his back.

Hagebak found the stairs to her office and he was greeted by another asari with violet skin. She smiled when he approached. "Greetings. How may I help you?"

"I have an appointment with Miss. T'Soni. The last name is Hagebak." Hagebak tells the receptionist.

She browses through her data pad for appointments and from the look in her eyes, she found the name. "Ah, Mr. Hagebak. Let me put you through." The receptionist made a call on her communicator. "Miss T'Soni? Your nine' o clock is here. Right. You may go on in."

Hagebak stepped inside the office. The office was quite large and it was fitted with the things one would find in an office. It didn't look anything like his office. If he wanted to compare this office to someone back on his home colony of Gibson, he would have to say the office belonged to someone who was either an executive in a major company or a high powered attorney.

He saw the asari standing behind her desk looking over a few items on her holographic data screen. She told him. "It will just be a minute, Mr. Hagebak. I have to take care of a couple things."

He takes the opportunity to browse around the office. He was particularly drawn to the wall carrying pictures. One picture was an asari woman standing next to a small asari child. Then he makes the connection and thinks to himself. _This must be Benenzia and Liara when she was a child_.

Then he spots another photo. It was a group photograph. It was Liara and Shepard in the center. With them was a human male with dark hair styling a "duck-ass" hairstyle. A human female with olive colored skin and dark hair wrapped in a bun. Both the humans were wearing a regulated Alliance uniform. The other non-humans were a krogan with red plates and three distinguishing scars around its mouth, a turian wearing blue armor and blue marking across its face, and a quarian wearing a dark enviro-suit with a purple visor.

The next photograph was a rather muscular man with brown hair and he was standing behind six asari children. Hagebak looked at the man and he looked eerily familiar. Then he was greeted by a soft feminine voice. "Hello, Mr. Hagebak. I see you have taken interest in my photographs."

Then he turned to see T'Soni looking at him. "Yes, particularly this one with the asari children. Who is that man, he looks familiar."

"That's David Goodman." T'Soni said. "He is the current teacher of the same elementary class I had once attended." She points to the asari child at the end. "That is Citti, his daughter."

That was when Hagebak made the connection. "Oh, that's where I've seen him before. I met him after Shepard's memorial on the Citadel. Some fellow soldiers and I were having some drinks at a restaurant and he comes up to us. He bought us a round. Then he tells us that he moved to Thessia and he started a family, but still supported the Alliance despite giving up his Alliance citizenship. That's right; I got a look at his family, a nice looking asari matron and two asari kids."

"The number is three now." T'Soni added. "His bondmate just had their third child recently."

The two continued to talk as they walked towards the desk. "Congratulations to him. It seems like a big trend among the asari these past two decades to pair up with a human. That's going to make things interesting when those asari with human fathers start entering the maiden stage. But from what I have heard you are quite familiar with being with a human." Hagebak sat down as he made his comment.

Liara was slightly blushing from the remark, but she didn't allow it to faze her. She sat down and spoke. "If you are talking about my relationship with Shepard, well it is true we were romantically involved."

"I must admit I was shocked, but not surprised." Hagebak said. "Female humans that join the N7 program aren't exactly girly-girls. I wasn't surprised that she preferred women instead of men."

Then Liara giggles slightly. "Actually, there was something I wanted to say about that. You see, you know that we asari are mono-gendered. Shepard wasn't particularly attracted to the female gender of your species. Believe it or not, she would have chosen men. That was until she met me… or an asari for that matter. She might not have found attraction in human women, but she discovered the attraction for my species. This however created a bit of tension between myself and another member of her crew."

"What happened?" Hagebak asked.

"This wasn't mentioned in the reports, but what happened was that after Shepard had finished her debriefing with the Council after the Feros mission, Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko and I had confronted her. She hasn't made her decision who she desired more, but looking back putting her in that position was wrong of us. She felt she was forced to choose either me or Alenko, so she chose me."

Hagebak takes a moment to think about what she has just said. "Thank you for telling me that story, but how do you know to trust me? I could've been one of those bottom feeding tabloid journalists looking for dirt."

"Now, Mr. Hagebak." Liara smiles. "I know you enough what kind of person you are. I knew everything about you before you stepped into my office."

Hagebak kept a calm face, because he knew what to expect from an information broker. "Then you should already know why I came here."

Liara activated her Omni-tool and simply pass the information she gathered to his Omni-tool. Hagebak looked at the information that was given to him and nodded in approval. "I hope you will find this information satisfactory."

Hagebak looks at her and says. "Of course. This information is quite useful, especially when we have a few operatives out so close to the Terminus. Illium is as close as we can get to gathering all this information without breaking any treaties and risk losing the good graces of the Council. I'm glad that you can provide us with all this information and personally wish there was a way I can repay this favor other than a cash transaction."

Liara smiles. "I appreciate that Mr. Hagebak, but honestly I do not know what form of favor I can ask of you. Maybe I would consider…"Then Liara receives a call coming in. She presses her two main fingers on her neck and answers. Hagebak chose to ignore the call to respect her privacy, but the information broker became rather distressed when she heard the information she was given from the other line. Then she calls for her receptionist to come in. At least now he knows the name of the receptionist when Liara calls her name. "Nyxeris. Would you please come in here?"

"What's going on?" Hagebak asked.

"I believe I may have been betrayed." Liara said.

"Can I help?" Hagebak asked, but the door had already opened and the violet skinned asari receptionist entered the office.

"Yes, Miss T'Soni?" The receptionist now known as Nyxeris walks in and asks about the situation. Hagebak reads her body language and noticed that she's easily hiding something and she doesn't want to reveal what she knows to her employer.

"I had just recently sent out an old friend to gather the information which you had just given me, but the information is not valid." Liara said. "As it turns out all the suspects happen to be male. For some reason there is not a single female among the five members you had given me. Where exactly you get this information?"

Liara's tone became sterner as she spoke, but when as her tone was becoming serious, Nyxeris was putting up a defensive posture. Hagebak stood up from his seat and moved to the side getting ready to pull out his pistol. Making sure he doesn't make too many sudden movements, he keeps his hands spread apart from each other and keeps his eyes on the receptionist.

"Who sent you?" Liara asked, but Nyxeris maintained her defiant mood.

Nyxeris pulled out a pistol in quick speed and pointed it at Hagebak and her free hand was glowing blue as she was threatening to use a biotic charge against Liara. "I was sent by someone you should have never pissed off! Let's just say my boss is still mad about you and your drell friend for sabotaging his plans for Shepard's body!"

Hagebak quickly knocks the receptionist's arm away, the one carrying the pistol, and he pulls out his own pistol. He quickly and strategically places the pistol underneath her chin and pulls the trigger. The wall carrying the photographs he had looked at previously was covered with blue blood and brain matter. To a seasoned veteran like him things like this didn't faze him, but he realizes that this is something that must be dealt with immediately.

He looks at the information broker and asked. "Are you alright?"

Liara nods her head and tells the soldier. "This whole time… This whole time she had been spying on me. How could I've let my guard…"

"Don't beat yourself up for this." Hagebak said while placing a hand on her shoulder. "It happens to the best of us and to be honest she was only hired to be a spy, but not to be assassin. That's the art of a con, to let your guard down. What she should have done was have her guard up if she really knew how to fight." He looks at the dead body and surveys the information around the office. "We have to get rid of the body. This is your territory; you have any ideas what to do with her?"

"Yes, I do." Liara said. "Quick, help me pull this furniture back and roll this carpet. I have something that could be useful."

Hagebak helped Liara with the task at hand. When he rolled up the carpet he noticed what looked like a hatch without handles. Liara activated her Omni-tool and the hatch opened outward.

Liara told Hagebak. "Grab her legs and we will throw her body down here."

He did that and helped Liara drop the body of the former receptionist, now turned spy, into a darkened pit. Then Liara opened up a cabinet and gave Hagebak a cleaning utensil. They clean up the carcass that had been splattered on the walls and photographs. After they were done using the cleaning utensils, they dumped the contents into the same pit as the dead spy. Then Liara activated her Omni-tool and the hatch closed. He helped her put the furniture back where it originally was placed.

Hagebak questioned the information broker. "What is that?"

"That is a direct line to the furnace." Liara said. "I'm not the first information broker to use this office; I find a quite useful from time to time like now. Now, Mr. Hagebak I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me and I wish there was a way I can repay you."

"Actually there is." He said. "I would prefer it if you never mentioned that I was here. Because, technically I'm not supposed to be receiving information or Intel from the source like here. I would prefer that you pretend I was not here. I hope you understand?"

Liara nods. "Yes I understand. Thank you for your help. May the goddess look over you."

Hagebak walked out of the office and quickly flies down the stairs, but when he sees a familiar sight he takes cover over by the kiosks. He couldn't believe his eyes the he was looking at Commander Shepard herself. The tabloids are true and she is alive, he thought to himself. _Is this what must people felt like when people thought Elvis was still alive back in the 20__th__ century even after his death?_ He looked at the woman wearing her N7 armor and she was walking towards the office where he had just recently been. She was accompanied by what looked like the same turian from the photograph he saw earlier, only this time he had damaged blue armor and covering up what appeared to be a scar on his right face. The other being accompanying her was a krogan with gray plates and grey armor.

As much it would've been a pleasure to see his mentor again, Hagebak realizes that the mission comes first and Shepard would understand. He certainly doesn't want to act like that Conrad Veneer character he met at the hotel lobby last night. He was tempted to punch him out and force him to take that phony N7 armor off, because to him it's a disgrace to those who actually had to earn that armor and not a cheap knockoff.

Hagebak rushed back to his hotel room and got on a quick comm link. He got the information he needed and he needed to send this information as soon as possible back to Alliance Intel. But when the Intel network told him that the information he was going to send was not going to be received fast enough, he decided to send in a direct route which is faster. He tried to get a hold of a squad of Alliance Special Forces troops stationed on Fehl Prime.

Hagebak find the signal and he calls in. "This is Lieutenant Commander William Hagebak calling to all Alliance personnel on Fehl Prime. I have information. I have information that must be received. This is urgent. I am transferring the information now; the information is going directly to Lieutenant James Vega. This information contains the invasion plans of the mysterious species known as The Collectors. Invasion by The Collectors is imminent. All forces on Fehl Prime must be at full alert. Defend the colony at all costs." He will not know whether if that message of gone through or not, but hopefully this James Vega receives the information before it is too late.

When the word _sent_ was plastered on his Omni-tool, he takes a deep breath and makes a quick prayer that the information I got to the right man and he was not too late. He looks at the bed and falls back on the soft cushioning of the pillows and sheets. He stares at the ceiling for fifteen minutes and thinks back to the events of the last twenty-four hours.

Hagebak sighs and tells himself. "So far everything I can do has been done. Officially the mission is complete. Maybe now is that time to go check out Azure and finally enjoy my shore leave." He smiles to himself and places an order for taxi. It has been an interesting day.


End file.
